The Wastelands
by blackandblood
Summary: In a world being overrun by vampires, Zoe must kill or be killed. But what happens when the love of her life returns, only as one of the undead? Can she forgive him for breaking her heart so long ago? Or are they destined to be nothing more but enemies?
1. Prologue

**okay here is my latest story after being m.i.a. for a few weeks. It's a little long but im also a little worried you'll think its a bit rushed. but after this it'll start to make more sense as the story unravels. i hope its okay and please let me know how you liked it. :) if no one seems to like it then i may just start a different story cuz im not sure how it will come out.**

**The Wastelands**

**Prologue**

Ring ring!

Zoe Orimoto got up off the couch and answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Zoe. It's me", Takuya said to his girlfriend. "Um....can you meet me in the park down the street from your house?"

Zoe frowned. "Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Can you meet me or not?" He sounded a bit impatient.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." She hung up and threw her sneakers on.

Zoe jogged down the street to see Takuya waiting for her on one of the park's benches. She sat down beside him and tried to catch her breath.

"So what's up?"

Takuya was looking at the ground. "We need to talk."

Zoe began to get nervous, then looked at the sky. "Are you sure you wanna talk about it here? I mean I don't mind, but it looks like it's going to start to rain."

"No, it's fine," he snapped.

"What's your problem? What do you want to talk to me about?" Zoe asked, getting impatient with his tone.

Takuya looked up. "Zoe, things aren't working out between us."

Zoe frowned. "What do you mean by that? How are 'things not working out' between us?" She couldn't believe this.

"Look, I can't be with you anymore. It's just not working for me." Takuya's eyes were dark. "I don't want to be in this relationship anymore."

Her heart sank. "Alright, we can slow things down. Go back to being friends if that's what you want." Zoe was on the verge of tears, but if Takuya wasn't happy with their relationship then she didn't want to force him to stay with her.

"But that's the thing. I don't even want to be friends with you!" Takuya was shouting.

Zoe stood up, pissed off. "What did I ever do to you? I mean sure, we've only been going out for a few months now, but jeez. I couldn't have done anything to make you mad at me like this. What's the matter?"

Takuya stood up as well. "I don't want to be with you anymore. You're driving me nuts. You have always kind of driven me nuts, even when I first met you." He looked very angry and annoyed.

Tears came to Zoe's eyes filled with tears. "Then why did you go out with me in the first place if you think I'm annoying?!"

"I don't know. Because I was stupid and didn't know better. Thought maybe you would grow out of it eventually." Takuya's eyes showed no emotion. "But as we can see, that will never happen. Face it, you're just a pain in the ass and you always will be."

Zoe's hands were clutched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. Her head was down, and the tears began coursing down her face. "Fine," she said in a low voice. "I'll leave you alone. I'll never speak to you again after this because now I know that all I'm good for is annoying you." She looked up, her face a mixture of grief and anger. "Have a nice life. But that shouldn't be too hard with me gone." With that she brushed past him and started to make her way to the woods next to the park.

Takuya turned to her. "Where are you going?" He asked, a harshness in his voice.

"None of your business." She didn't look back at him.

"Whatever. Bye." Takuya turned and began to walk home.

Zoe's walking turned into a jog as she got to the wooded area. She had to get away from him. I don't want him to see my crying in case he decides to come back and say something else to me, she thought bitterly. She couldn't stop the tears, so her jog turned into a run.

Trees and plants were everywhere. There wasn't even a solid path to follow. Zoe didn't care though and ran as fast as she could. She dodged trees and jumped over logs. She couldn't stop running, no matter how hard her heart was pounding. It was as if she was trying to run away from Takuya's words. _You have always kind of driven me nuts, even when I first met you._ He's just like everyone else who's made me feel as though I don't belong here, she thought angrily. Stupid of me to think that someone would actually want to be my friend for once.

Finally Zoe collapsed. Her chest was heaving, and she couldn't take it anymore. She began to sob loudly, not caring about anything else in the world at that moment. She had really thought she loved him and that he felt the same way as her. But of course, she had been wrong.

"Stupid Takuya!" She couldn't help but scream it out. Her fist pounded into the ground, hitting a stick.

Zoe winced and looked at her hand. The stick had jabbed it, and a thin line of blood dripped down her hand.

"Great", she muttered. "Just freaking great."

"I'll help you clean that up."

Zoe snapped her head up. "Who's there?" She looked around but saw only trees.

It's got to be my imagination, she thought. This whole Takuya thing was just getting to her.

"Aren't you just young and fresh," the voice said again.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" She was frightened, not knowing what was going on.

Three figures seemed to appear out of nowhere. When they came closer, she could see that there were two women and one man. They appeared to be in their mid-twenties.

Zoe glared at them and backed away slightly. "What do you want?"

The man stepped forward and smiled. He had black hair and dark jacket on. His face was extremely pale, but he was handsome nonetheless. "What do we want, you ask? Don't worry about what we want. Just come here so we can talk to you." He beckoned her.

Zoe began to slowly move towards them, as if she had no control over her body. What's happening, she thought with a panic. Why can't I stop?!

One of the women had long dark brown hair and wore a red leather jacket. She also had on a black leather mini skirt and high heeled boots. The other woman had almost platinum blond curls and was wearing a similar outfit to the brunette, only her jacket was black.

They waited as she came closer, then tried to jump on her. Zoe screamed and fell to the ground as they pushed her. The man's mouth was near her neck when all of a sudden a high-pitched scream filled everyone's ears. Zoe looked up to see the blond woman's head fall to the ground, her body falling backward. The brunette jumped off of Zoe and looked at the body in horror.

"Get away from her!" A man in his early fifties approached them. He held a large knife in his hand.

The man and the woman backed away, hissing at him. They gave one last look at Zoe, then disappeared amongst the trees.

Zoe screamed as he pulled her up. "Are you okay?" He asked. Specks of blood stained his graying hair.

"You just killed that woman! What the heck is going on? Who are you and who were they?!"

"There's no time to explain. You need to come with me," he said. He began to drag her along.

"NO! Let go! Tell me what's going on first", she insisted.

"Just come on. I'll explain later. If you stay here, you're as good as dead."

Zoe relented and began to follow him, both of them running. She could here voices all around them and glanced around. There was no one visible.

After a few more minutes of running they came to a small cottage. "Get in. Quickly!" The man looked around as Zoe entered. He followed her and locked the door.

"Okay, can you please tell me who you are and what the heck is going on?" Zoe asked.

"My name is Sosuke Ushiba. And those people that attacked you back there are vampires."

Zoe stared at him as though he had three heads. "Vampires?" She asked incredulously. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No I'm not kidding you. This isn't a joke", he insisted.

"There's no such things as vampires", Zoe said. "They're only in movies and stuff. They don't actually exist."

"But they do. Just listen to me, dammit. They're real and before you know it, there'll be more vampires than ever. They are quickly multiplying."

"But what has this got to do with me?" Zoe asked, still not entirely believing what she was hearing.

"There is something about you. A certain presence about you that they can't resist. And because of it, you'll be dead very soon if you don't know how to defend yourself against them." Sosuke looked tired and worn out. "Please believe me, I'm not just some crazy bat. Besides, did you not notice their sharp canines?"

Zoe had to agree on that. She did catch a glimpse of their teeth and they did have fangs, no doubt about it.

"But why me?" She asked, defeated.

"I don't know, there's just something special about you. You must learn how to defend yourself against these vampires, before they kill you", he said. "I know this is all so sudden. But I beg you. Give me the chance to teach you everything you need to know about these creatures."

She shook her head. This is ridiculous, she thought. But at the same time, he did save her. And the man had tried to bite her neck. That wasn't exactly the most ordinary thing.

Zoe saw a glint in his eye and couldn't help but to believe him. Finally, she just gave up. "Alright. I still think this is absolutely crazy, but okay. Teach me Everything I need to know."

Sosuke looked relieved and smiled. "Okay, let's begin our first lesson now."

For the next two hours, Zoe absorbed everything he told her. He explained about their origins, how to fend them off, how to kill them, everything she could ever ask about. His words sank in. Surprisingly, she found herself thinking it as less and less crazy the more he explained things. In the pit of her stomach, Zoe Orimoto knew her life would never be the same.

**yays. prologue is done. chapter 1 is coming really soon. hope you liked it. im a little worried that it came out sounding rushed and ridiculous but i hope to explain things better in the next chapters. let me know if you like it or not.**


	2. Chapter 1

**here is chapter 1 of my newest story. the one before just works better with the storyline explanation-wise**

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 1**

_Nine years later_

She gazed down upon the once beautiful city. What had been amazing to look at was a now a desolate wasteland. Streets were broken and cracked, while buildings crumbled and threatened to collapse. Screams of pain, agony, and horror were heard day and night. The city was in chaos and at this point there was basically nothing to save it. The only thing that could be helped with was time. Eventually time would not even matter, for it would all be in ruin.

She inhaled the warm air, and sighed. Death was in the air, there was no doubt about it. Her long blond locks blew freely in the wind, circling her gorgeous face. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned her surroundings below. No one could see her from the faltering church tower she stood in. The giant stained-glass window had been long gone, and left only a small shielding of glass. That too would be gone soon.

Zoe slowly rose up and pulled a handgun out from the pocket of her leather overcoat.

"Time for work," she muttered. With that she simply jumped out of the window, descending over two hundred feet below. She landed on the ground, in a crouch. As she began to make her way to more populated areas, the screams became louder. By now she was unfazed by everything. She could watch crowds of people dying and as horrible as it was, she had grown accustomed to seeing it on a daily basis.

Creatures lurked in the shadows of every corner, just dying to catch their next victim. Zoe had been attacked almost every day for the past nine years. She used to be surprised how she was still alive. Nowadays, it just seemed like an ordinary day. She kept stakes hidden in the pockets of her jacket. There was no need for hammers or mallets, as she could easily kill them using brute force.

About half of the city had been killed, or just turned into vampires. What population had remained, was kept around merely as playthings. A way to keep the blood-thirsty beings entertained.

A female vampire suddenly lunged at her. Zoe dodged without so much as a flicker of surprise in her eye. Before the vampire had known it, a wooden stake had been thrust through her back, exiting out of her chest where her heart had been. She collapsed to the ground, dead. Zoe jerked the stake out of the vamp's back and shook off the excess blood. She wrapped it in a white cloth, then carefully placed it back into a pocket on the inside of her jacket.

As Zoe made her way down the road, her mind went elsewhere. She knew that not all of these creatures were bad. Many of them struggled to survive everyday, trying to find an animal to feed off of. They had no desire to kill anyone. Zoe felt compassion for them and always left them alone. Humans can be monsters too sometimes, she thought. Many of them were far worse than any vampire Zoe had encountered. Well, maybe not all. But a great deal of them. She had decided long ago that she was on neither side. She killed only when she deemed it as necessary.

Zoe looked out of the corner of her eye and saw a young vampire going through someone's trash. She appeared to be around five years old and seemed very frightened. All of a sudden a door opened and a man came lumbering out. He struck the little girl in the face, causing her to fall.

"Get away, you animal!" He shouted. "You filthy little vermin!" He was about to kick her when Zoe closed in behind him. She grabbed him around the neck and slit his throat.

"She's not the monster," Zoe whispered in his ear. "You are."

With that she dropped him to the ground, in a pool of blood.

She nodded at the little girl, a tiny smile on her face. "Eat up."

The vampire looked very timid, then gave Zoe a grateful smile. She shyly went over to the man and lowered herself beside his body. Her mouth touched his open throat and began to drink, as if it had been forever since she had last eaten.

Zoe walked away. She felt no remorse for what she had done. Was she a murderer? Yes. Did she care? No. In this life it was either kill or be killed at this point. She did not enjoy killing, but did not hesitate when she felt she had to.

"Hey blondie. How's about you let me suck on that pretty little neck of yours." A male walked out of the shadows, his long black hair in a ponytail. By his side was a similar looking guy with shorter hair, along with a chubby brunette. Another vampire emerged. He appeared to be a few years younger than the rest. The other three looked to be around Zoe's age.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "How about not," she said coldly. "I've got bigger things to deal with."

The fat one smirked. "Oh, come on. We'll go easy on you." When he smiled, she saw his fangs.

"By the looks of it, you ate enough for everyone else already," she quipped.

The others laughed. "She got you there fatass," the one with the shorter black hair said.

"Shut up!" He yelled at them. He then turned his attention back on Zoe. "Bitch. I'll enjoy sucking out every last drop of blood you have in that neck."

Zoe smirked. "Try me."

The smaller one, who had been completely quiet throughout the ordeal, suddenly lunged on top of her. Zoe quickly laid on her back and put her foot into his stomach, grabbing his wrists. She kicked him upwards, sending him flying over her. Zoe rolled backwards and stood, facing the rest.

"Is that all you got?" She said incredulously.

"Get her!" The one with the ponytail yelled.

They all attacked her at once, trying their best to make her fall. Zoe was able to dodge their attacks easily enough, while getting in her own hits as well. She kicked upwards, getting the fat one in his nose. The one with the shorter black hair tried to grab her throat, but she backflipped out of the way, landing on the shoulders of the one with the ponytail. She grabbed his head and jerked it.

Everyone knew that you couldn't kill a vampire by breaking their necks, but it still hurt like hell.

"Kouji!" The man with the shorter black hair ran over to him.

"Come on! Let's go!" The fat one yelled, holding his nose. "Get your brother, Kouichi!"

Kouichi helped Kouji up and snapped his neck back in place.

Kouji rotated his head. "Tommy! J.P. Come on!"

The four of them ran, with Zoe close behind them. "Oh, no you don't!" She shouted. "You're not getting away this easy."

Tommy led them towards an abandoned building. The other three smirked, knowing where this was going.

Zoe pursued them, closing in on them. A stake was clutched in her hand. The vampires ran through the door, where Zoe followed.

As soon as she entered, the door slammed shut behind her. She stood there, alone in the darkness. Their voices seemed to be everywhere, laughing at her. Mocking her.

She smirked. "Time for some fun."

**chapter one is complete! yays let me know how you liked it. chapter 2 is coming out soon. byez :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**this chapter is a little shorter than what i normally set them at, but it works better for what happens in the following chapter. enjoy!**

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 2**

Zoe slowly made her way through the pitch black building. She could barely make out the high rafters near the ceiling and all of the windows seemed to be boarded up.

"Come and get us, blondie!" The one they called J.P. yelled out.

"I take it as I'm going to have to hunt you down myself, seeing how you're all cowards," Zoe replied sarcastically.

She knew that she was at a disadvantage. While she could not see clearly in the dark, vampires had perfect vision. She pocketed the stake, knowing that she would need both hands to take them on.

Zoe slowly began to make her way through the building. She could hear it creaking and groaning all around her. As dark as it was, she could at least make out the sillouttes of objects so that she wouldn't bump into anything.

"Where are you?" She muttered.

"Here I am!" Kouichi slammed her into a wall, pinning her against it.

Zoe kneed him in the stomach, getting him off of her. She went to strike him again, only to hit air. He seemed to vanish right before her.

A small smile played on her lips. "Figures why you would bring me here. Afraid that I might be too much for the four of you?"

"We thought it would be more fun here!" Kouji called out. "Why, are you not having any fun? 'Cause we sure are!"

Maybe I should get out, she thought. This is their turf, and they were at an advantage. They had led her here purposely because of it. She had to make it subtle, though. If they knew she was trying to leave, they would block her in. She slowly backed up, circling around trying to find them. She heard their snickers above her and ducked just in time. One of them had hung from one of the lower rafters and attempted to kick her. Before she knew it, all four of them were on her.

Zoe could hear their teeth mashing together, trying to get to that artery in her throat. She raised her shoulders as much as she could, trying to protect her exposed neck. Lying on her back, she thrust her legs upward. As she had hoped, she gave two of them a good kick, sending them backwards. She sprang up, trying to rely on her hearing more than her sight. One of them lashed out at her, grazing her arm. Her sleeve protected her from any injury.

"Stupid leather!" Kouji complained.

Something struck Zoe in the head, making her fall to her knees. Tommy tried to jerk her jacket off of her. She elbowed him in the stomach, making him let go. But Kouichi grasped it and pulled it off of her, throwing it across the room. She knew she was in a bit of trouble now. Not only were all of her stakes in that damn coat, but now her arms, shoulders, and some of her chest exposed. Had to wear a spaghetti-strap shirt today, she cursed herself. By now her head was spinning, but she still felt alright as far as pain went. She stood up, only to bend backwards to avoid being hit in the face. Her hands were on the floor and she kicked upward, turning into a handstand. J.P. groaned in pain as he stumbled away from her. Zoe grabbed Kouji's neck between her ankles and jerked it, breaking his neck yet again.

"OW!"

"Rip this bitch apart!" J.P. yelled.

All four of them, even Kouji with his neck bent all funny, jumped up onto the rafters. Before Zoe knew it, large pieces of wood began to fall from the ceiling. She jumped and dodged as best as she could, missing most of them. One or two only grazed her. More and more fell, getting larger and heavier than the previous ones.

"Dammit," she hissed, rolling out of the way. Suddenly one landed on her shoulder, cracking it.

Zoe cried out in pain, clutching it. She could feel warm blood spreading under her hand. Her shoulder seemed to have popped out of its socket as well.

"We got her!" Tommy yelled. "Keep it up!"

Another one slammed down on Zoe's knee, making her fall to the ground. Tears were in her eyes as she tried to crawl away. To her horror she heard a loud crash. She looked up to see what appeared to be most of the ceiling falling down. Knowing that she could not get away, she did the only thing she could do. She covered her head and prayed for the best. Boards of wood crashed onto her, burying her beneath their weight. Zoe's breathing was restricted and she struggled to take in some air. All she could breathe in was dust, so she began to cough. With each cough, she could feel her ribs threatening to crack beneath the weight on her. Finally, unable to breathe, she started to lose conciousness. Just before she passed out completely, she heard the door slam open, banging loudly against the wall and vaguely saw a dark figure approaching her. After that everything went dark.

**chapter 2 is all finished. let me know how you're liking this story so far and chapter 3 will be coming out in a day or so. until then read and review ;D**


	4. Chapter 3

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 3**

He began to make his way over to the buried girl. His friends were laughing hystrerically in the backround.

"We got her good!" J.P. yelled.

"Which one of us gets to finish her off?" Kouichi wondered.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The figure bellowed. He emerged from the shadows.

"Oh, come on, Takuya. We were just having some fun," Kouji replied.

Takuya glared at them. "Just get out of here. NOW!"

The four of them, still laughing, left the building through one of the windows that had been busted open. Takuya watched them leave, then made his way over to Zoe. He quickly threw the boards off of her until they were no longer burying her. Zoe had a layer of dust covering her skin, and he could see several cuts and bruises forming on her back. Takuya swept her into his arms and carried her through the building, to the next room. Contrary to the one they had just been in, this one was much nicer and had been redone recently. Thick red carpets covered the floors and crimson drapes were wrapped around concrete pillars holding the ceiling up.

It's been so long, he thought. The pretty girl he had remembered as an eleven year-old had grown into a beautiful young woman.

He softly brushed his fingers over her face, wiping the dust away. Zoe stirred, but did not awake. Takuya looked at her shoulder and noticed that it didn't look right. He gently popped it back into its socket. Zoe whimpered and inadvertantly buried her face in his chest. Takuya looked at her bare neck and swallowed. It looked so smooth, and delicate. He could almost taste her blood just by looking at it. Immediately he pushed those thoughts out of his head.

Zoe coughed and began to wake up. Her eyes opened and, although it had been nine years, she recognized Takuya's face. She threw herself off him, wincing in pain.

"Takuya?" She almost didn't believe it.

He looked a little similar from when he had been eleven but was now older and had become breath-takingly handsome.

"Hello Zoe." A small smile played on his lips.

Zoe looked around. "Where am I? How the hell did I get here?"

Takuya smirked. "I brought you here. Figured you'd be a little more grateful that I didn't let my buddies finish you off."

She glared at him. "Okay. Thank you for not letting them kill me. There. I'm going now."

He quickly moved in her way. "Why are you going so soon?"

"I told you I appreciate that you saved me. But I don't need you. Now get out of my way," she replied angrily.

"But I want you to stay for a little while. You know, catch up a bit." He refused to move.

Zoe gave him a look. "_You _want _me _to stay for awhile? Good one. I don't have time for this. Move."

Takuya looked her in the eye. "No."

"You can either get out of my way or I can do it for you. Take your pick."

He snickered. "Try me."

"You're unbelievable. Why do you want me to stay? What would be the point of that?" She snapped.

"Oh, come on Zoe. It's been nine years. I just wanted to see what you were up to."

"What I've been up to is none of your business. I stayed the hell away from you and that's all you need to know."

Takuya felt a tug in his heart. "Dammit. It's been almost a decade and you're still crying about that?"

Zoe suddenly slapped him across the face. "Shut up! You have no idea what I've been through all this time. And you stand there, so smug with yourself, like you own the world."

He barely felt the blow to his face and began to laugh. "Wow. That's the first time anyone's dared to hit me in a long time."

"And there'll be more if you don't get the hell out of my way. I don't want anything to do with you. I've done it for nine years and I'll do it for the rest of my life, however long that may be."

A look of regret came across Takuya's face. "Look, Zoe. About what I said-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she cut him off. He thought he saw a tear in her eye. "I'm still mad how it all happened. But I've also gotten over it since then."

"I didn't mean to hurt you Zoe. It had to be done." He looked apologetic.

Zoe turned around so she wasn't facing him. She didn't want him to see her wipe a tear away. "What's done is done. It doesn't matter now. Nothing does nowadays."

"As you can tell I've changed. You have too apparently, only a different way." He couldn't help but smirk. "Going to try to slay me now? I mean, that is what you are, right? A vampire slayer?"

Zoe whirled around, her face full of anger. "For your information, no, I'm not a vampire slayer." She paused for a moment.

"Oh? What are you then?"

She glared at him. "You're right about one thing. I do kill vampires........but I kill humans as well."

Takuya raised his eyebrows in shock. "What?! Why would you kill humans? That doesn't make any sense."

"Nothing makes sense in this world,"she said coldly. "I have my reasons."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I just figured you saw us all as monsters and wanted us all dead."

"Then you know me even less than you thought. You would assume that." She rotated her injured shoulder. "The average person would think that way. And, as you can see, I'm not like everyone else."

Takuya laughed. "I mean, I've heard of some blond chick going around killing vampires and humans. I just had no idea it was you."

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You thought I probably died a long time ago."

"The thought came to mind, yes. I hoped it wasn't true, but I could never find proof otherwise." He looked upset, but at the same time relieved.

"Well as you can see, I'm very much alive and kicking." Her expression darkened. "Besides, why would you care anyway?"

"Zoe, I've never stopped caring about you," Takuya said.

"Sorry, but I don't believe you. After all, I was only good for annoying you," Zoe said mockingly. She looked angry and looked like she was trying to keep herself from ripping his head off.

"I didn't mean any of that!" Takuya retorted. "I broke up with you because I turned into a friggen vampire a few days before and I kept getting the urge to kill! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever hurt you......or worse."

She stared at him in shock. While she was relieved that he had only tried to protect her, she still felt furious.

"Why didn't you tell me?! I thought out of all people you would at least tell me."

Takuya looked down. "I wanted to, but I was afraid of what you would think of me."

Zoe couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This is ridiculous. I've got to go and think about some things." She pushed past him and went through the door.

"Will you come back so we can talk about this more?" He shouted after her.

She bent down to pick up her discarded coat. Shrugging it on, she answered without looking back at him. "Tomorrow."

Takuya swallowed and watched her go, the heavy doors banging shut behind her.

**well that wraps up chapter 3. hopefully chapter 4 will help to explain things a little better. let me know how you like it. :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 4**

Zoe sighed as the hot water sprayed down on her. It stung her cuts but at the same time it felt good to wash away all that dust and blood covering her. What a day, she thought to herself. Things just keep getting more and more crazy. She began to wash her long blond hair, having a look of disgust on her face as she saw water near the drain turn brown from the dirt and dust. Ten minutes later she emerged and wrapped a towel around herself.

She was back in her secluded tower-turned apartment. No one even knew of this place as far as she was concerned. And that was how she liked it. She began to pace through her room, trying to find something to wear. Zoe finally settled for a red halter and black jeans. She put on a pair of black sneakers and flopped down on the couch.

"What the hell," she muttered, rubbing her temples in frustration. "What in god's name is going on?"

Before she knew it Zoe had fallen asleep. While she slept, she felt as though she were floating. Her skin felt warm and her hair damp. She could almost hear Takuya's voice in the distance. "Zoe..........Zoe.........." His hot breath on her neck, causing her skin to get goosebumps. His lips came closer, and closer until he was mere milimeters away. Suddenly he smirked and sank his fangs deep into her neck.

"Shit!" Zoe bolted awake, breathing heavy. She felt her neck, only to feel smoothness. Sighing, she fell back onto the couch. It seemed so real for a moment there.

"I'm going crazy," she said to herself.

"Are you?"

Zoe whirled around, her eyes widening in surprise. "Takuya?! What on earth are you doing here? Better yet, how did you know I was here in the first place? What, did you follow me or something?"

Takuya stood in the corner of the room, sitting on a stool in front of the bar. He snickered. "No, I didn't follow you.........well, okay. Maybe I did." He looked at the glasses and bottles. "Last time I checked, you weren't even old enough to drink."

"You ass! Get out. I said I would see you tomorrow. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but it is not tomorrow yet, is it?"

"I couldn't wait. I needed to see you again. And I want some answers."

Zoe groaned. "Alright. Fine. I'll tell you what you want and then you can leave. But you better give me some answers too."

Takuya shrugged. "Okay."

She stared at him. "So what do you want to know?"

"First off, how did you even learn all this shit anyway? I mean no offense, but you don't seem like you would be very good at teaching this to yourself on your own."

"Screw you. But yeah, I had a mentor. His name was Sosuke Ushiba."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Was? Die from a vampire?"

"Cancer," Zoe said quietly. "About four years ago. I've been doing this stuff for nine years, four of them completely alone."

"My family was attacked and killed by vampires," Takuya told her. "They attacked me too, but for some reason chose to turn me into one of them instead. I could never figure out why."

Zoe's expression softened a little. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been horrible for you."

He nodded, looking at the ground. "I coudn't stand to lose anyone else, especially you. I wanted to tell you so bad, but I didn't want you to think I was a monster."

"Takuya, look at me," she said. He looked up at her. "I wouldn't have thought of you as a monster. I mean, yeah, I thought you were a monster for treating me like that. But I would have given you the benefit of the doubt."

Takuya snorted. "Yeah, sure. How crazy did you think you were going when you were first introduced to all of this vampire stuff anyway? You probably thought it was all just a dream, or that you needed to go to the looney bin."

"Yeah, it was a lot to take in, I'll admit that. But if I could believe Sosuke, a complete stranger who I randomly met in the woods, then I could have believed my boyfriend.......and best friend." Zoe brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "You see, after you broke up with me, I went into the woods so that I could be alone. Then you know, I'm all upset, blah, blah, blah, when these three people come out of nowhere. I thought they were just a group of nutcases, but then they attacked me. I saw their teeth and everything. And just when I thought they were going to bite me, Sosuke comes up behind them and cuts one of their heads off."

"The good ole' beheading trick," Takuya smiled.

"The other two ran off, but he said we still were in danger, so we ran to his cottage. I didn't want to go at first. I thought he was just some crazy bat, but at the same time I had a feeling that he knew what he was talking about."

"So what happened with your family? Are they dead?"

Zoe shook her head. "They went into hiding, back in Italy. They wanted me to come, but I chose to stay behind. I let them know every so often that I'm still alive. Hiding is pointless in my opinion. And I had this weird feeling that I was needed here for some strange reason."

Takuya walked up to her and, to her surprise, pulled her up. "Ever figure out what that reason was?" He asked quietly.

Zoe swallowed and looked down. "I don't know.......I'm actually surprised that I've lived this long."

"I'm not."

".....Here, let me get you a drink." She quickly went behind the bar and pulled out a glass.

Takuya smirked. "Hello, vampire here. I don't drink that stuff."

"Okay, then I'll make you a Bloody Mary. Yeah, you can't live off of it, but it still might take the edge off. So shut up and let me make you a drink."

He shrugged. "Fuck it. I think we both need a drink." He watched her and had a small smile of amusement. Her hands were shaking and she spilled some alcohol onto the counter.

"Dammit..." she muttered, wiping it with a cloth.

"Relax, it's only me," Takuya quipped.

She shot him a look. "I'm just cold, that's all."

He raised an eyebrow. "Cold my ass."

"Yeah, I'm cold. So pipe down," Zoe said, brushing past him with the drinks. She thrust one in his hands, then flopped down onto the couch.

Takuya's smile faded as he studied her face. Zoe's eyes were pooled with darkness. He wondered what she was thinking about but knew better than to ask. He walked over to her and sat down beside her. Zoe repositioned herself, so she was further away from him.

"Oh, come on Zoe." Takuya was getting a little annoyed, but at the same time he couldn't blame her.

"Things just keep getting more and more screwed up," Zoe replied. "It's not so much that it's you. It's more along the lines with me so don't think I'm doing this purposely to be an ass to you." She took a sip of her drink and winced slightly as it made its way burning down her throat. "It's better this way for now."

Takuya moved in closer to her. "Better what way?" His eyes bore into hers.

"Takuya!" She snapped. "Don't make this even harder for me..........Please........"

"What's the matter?" He asked, downing his drink in one gulp.

Zoe only shook her head.

Takuya shrugged and stood up. "Well, I better get going. I have business matters to attend to."

She nodded without looking up at him.

The vampire walked over to the far window in the room and opened it. He turned around one last time. "Bye Zoe."

He couldn't hear her, but he saw her lips move as she said her own goodbye. With that he jumped out of the window, descending to the ground. Takuya landed without any difficulty and walked into the distance. Little had he known that Zoe had watched him.

"Goodbye," Zoe said in a louder voice, though he still would not have been able to hear. She sank down to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She soon fell asleep in that same positioned.

**alrighty then! Chapter 4 is complete i am so happy and would like to thank everyone who took the time to review my chapters. chapter 5 should be out in a day or so. i just need to find the time to write it. see yous later :D**


	6. Chapter 5

**chapter 5 is done and chapter 6 is already in the works. enjoy!**

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 5**

"Where have you been?" Kouji asked when his friend returned.

Takuya walked past him. "Out."

"Out where?"

"Does it really matter?" Takuya asked, annoyed. "Last time I checked I didn't need to run everything by you."

"He's just bored," Kouichi intercepted. "He's got nothing better to do than to annoy us and ask stupid questions."

"Screw you," Kouji retorted.

"Both of you shut the hell up!" Takuya rubbed his temples. "Swear, the two of you never stop bitching......"

"Takuya, is everything okay?" Tommy asked him. "You're acting kinda funny."

Takuya shot him a look. "I'm fine."

J.P. walked over to him. "Something's up. Come on, you can tell us anything."

"I said I'm fine!"

The four of them backed down. They watched as Takuya went over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle. He gulped the entire thing down in less than five seconds.

"Thirsty much?" Kouji raised an eyebrow.

Takuya wiped a dribble of blood off his chin. "Haven't eaten today." He grabbed another one.

"You might want to hurry up. Latharius called a last minute meeting," Tommy said. "We have to be there in a half hour. Kouichi and J.P. went off to look for you to let you know, but they couldn't find you."

"Wonder what His High and Mighty wants," Kouichi quipped.

Kouji shrugged. "Dunno. He's not the type to do last minute things. So it's gotta be pretty damn important."

Takuya finished his second bottle. "Well then, let's go. I wanna get this done and over with."

Fifteen minutes later they were seated and waiting for their leader to show up. Every single vampire in that area was present and all of them were wondering what the meeting was all about.

"SILENT!"

Everyone immediately quieted down as Latharius made his way to the podium. He stood there for a minute, then cleared his throat.

"You may all be wondering why I summoned you to this meeting at the very last minute. Although I do hate last minute things, I found this matter to be of importance." He paused as he looked around the audience, then continued. "Takuya Kanbara."

Everyone turned to face Takuya as he made his way to the podium. He walked up to Latharius and smirked.

"What is this about?" Takuya asked.

Latharius smiled slightly. "Well, as my second in command, I apologize for not talking to you about this first before I set up the meeting. However, no one was able to locate you for me, so I went ahead without you."

"It is what it is. I'm sure it is important, so you did the right thing to go ahead and do it," Takuya replied nonchalantly. "So, what is this about anyway?"

Latharius turned to face the audience once again. "I'm sure you all know, but there is a mysterious figure going around set out to destroy us. None of us know exactly who she is or where to find her, but she is a great threat to all of us."

The vampires began to chatter amongst themselves. Many knew who he was speaking about, while others didn't seem to know what was going on."

"QUIET!"

Everyone quieted down immediately, some sinking down in their seats meekly.

"Thank you." Latharius glared at them. "I've only seen her myself once and it was only for a minute. But I've had many complaints of how she's going around killing anyone in her path. She's ruthless and must be taken down."

"She doesn't seem so tough to me," a male vampire scoffed.

Latharius chuckled. "Abel, you may think that. But if you were to come face to face with her, she would rip you apart in a matter of seconds. That much I know. I want you all to start searching for her."

Abel skulked in his seat muttering under his breath.

A woman stood up and nervously raised her hand.

"Yes?"

She cleared her throat. "How do we know where to find her? Or what she looks like, for that matter?"

"As I said, I don't know exactly where to find her. But make sure you look for a young blond woman. She always wears a black leather overcoat, but be cautious. She weilds many weapons within the pockets, so be smart about this. If she keeps up what she's been doing, she may wipe a great deal of us out within a matter of months."

Abel stood up angrily. "Well, I'll track her down myself. And then when I find her, I'll kill her."

"Very well, Abel," Latharius replied. "However, I do not want you to kill her. I want her brought to me alive. She could be of great use to us in the future." He looked to everyone else. "I want all of you to keep your eyes peeled for this girl. While it is Abel's job to track her down, I expect all of you to take some of your time and effort to find her as well."

Takuya intercepted. "My Lord, I will take as my liberty to find her myself rather than Abel. I am your second in command and I at least think I should have that right."

Latharius thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. You are my second in command for a reason and I know that you will not disappoint me."

"Hey!" Abel rushed to the podium. "I said I would find the girl! What makes you so damn special?" He gave Takuya a shove.

Latharius smirked and backed away from the two.

"Well for one thing, I'm a better tracker than you. And you tend to rush things and do them carelessly," Takuya said patiently.

"Careless?! I'll show you!" Abel lunged at him.

Takuya moved away, making him miss. He then grabbed him around the neck and, to everyone's horror, ripped Abel's head right off his shoulders.

Abel's body fell to the floor with a thud. The entire room was silent as Takuya raised the head for everyone to see.

"Anyone else have a problem with me tracking her down myself?" Takuya asked.

Everyone violently shook their heads.

"Good." Takuya dropped Abel's head and rolled off the podium.

Latharius stepped forward. "I have great confidence in you, Takuya. I expect you to be able to track her down within twenty-four hours."

"I can do you one better. Give me forty-eight hours and I will bring her to you," Takuya replied.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Latharius told the others. "Be careless like Abel, and the same may happen to you as well."

He turned and slowly left the room, while everyone silently watched him. The doors banged shut and the vampires looked at each other, then nervously left one by one.

Kouji, Kouichi, Tommy, and J.P. joined Takuya after everyone else had gone.

"Sweet move," Kouji said. "I hated that dude. Glad to see him dead."

"He was already dead, dumbass." Kouichi rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"Guys, we have a problem." Takuya looked serious.

"Why?" Tommy asked.

"I know who he's talking about. I know who the girl is."

J.P. looked mad for a moment. "Why didn't you tell Latharius when you had the chance?"

Takuya sighed. "If I tell you this, you must swear never to let anyone else know."

They thought for a moment, then agreed.

"Nine years ago, there was a friend of my mine......well, more like a girlfriend. But anyway, everything happened all at once and before I knew it, I was a fucking vampire." He rubbed the back of his neck, then continued. "I promised myself that I would never let anything happen to her, no matter what. And at the time I thought the only way I could protect her was to push her away. So I was a complete ass to her, hoping she would hate me and leave. She ran off and that was the last time I saw her. I'll admit, I looked for her to see what had happened afterwards, but I never saw or heard anything from her. Until yesterday."

"So the chick going around is your ex-girlfriend? So that's why you told us to stop," Kouichi realized.

Takuya nodded. "Her name is Zoe Orimoto. I still care about her very much and I refuse to let anything happen to her. Now I'm not asking you guys to help me because I could get killed for conspiring against our leader and I don't want anything to happen to you guys."

"Takuya, you're our friend. We don't mind helping you.....or at least I don't mind," Tommy said.

"Thanks but all I ask of you guys is to let her know that I'm looking for her if you happen to come across her. Don't tell her everything that's going on just yet because I want to sit her down and explain everything to her myself. Just make sure she doesn't come into any danger before I get there."

His friends agreed unanimously. "We'll keep a lookout for her," Kouji told him.

"Thanks. I took charge to find her so that it would be easier for me and less of a threat for her. The sooner I find her, the better. I don't have much time though. I gotta get going and find her before it's too late." With that Takuya stormed off.

The four of them watched him go, then decided that they should leave as well before anyone got suspicious.

"Good luck Takuya," Tommy said quietly as he followed the others. "And be careful."

**okayz chapter 5 is done. sorry that zoe wasn't in this chapter, but it was long enough as is. don't worry she comes back in the next chapter. or does she?...........mwahaha anyways read and review and before you know it chapter 6 will be done...or will it.........? yeah, it will. i got nothing better to do. byez**


	7. Chapter 6

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 6**

_Flashback from 4 years ago_

_Zoe wrung out the cold cloth and placed it on Sosuke's forehead._

_"You're burning up pretty bad," she said nervously._

_Sosuke gave her a weak smile, only to break out into a fit of coughing. He put a handkerchief against his mouth and continued to cough for a few more moments. When he pulled it away, Zoe noticed flecks of blood of it. She could feel tears well in her eyes._

_Her mentor saw her expression and lightly took her hand. "We both know I don't have much time left, child. But when I go, I expect you not to mourn for me."_

_Zoe's eyes flashed with anger. "How can you possibly expect me not to be upset about losing you? You're all I have left in this godforsaken world."_

_"I didn't say you couldn't be upset. I told you not to mourn for me. I have taught you everything I know and in these past years you have evolved into a gifted young lady. I couldn't be prouder for you." He cleared his throat. "You're kind of like the daughter I never had. Probably not the most normal way to go about it, but such is life."_

_"No! You're going to pull through this disease. I know you're strong enough to do it." Zoe squeezed his hand tighter. "I need you."_

_Sosuke shook his head. "No, Zoe. You have learned everything you would need. You don't need me anymore. And as sad as I am to say it, I won't be able to pull out of this sickness. I've been battling this cancer for over a decade, but in the end the disease will win the war."_

_"Don't say that!" Zoe shouted, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "It seems like I lose everyone around me. I don't want to lose you either."_

_"You'll be fine, Zoe. You are a strong individual and I know you will get through this. And I heard when someone loses a loved one, another one will come into their life and fill that hole."_

_"I'm sorry but I don't believe that," she scoffed._

_"Believe what you want. But you won't know until it happens," Sosuke said. He put the handkerchief to his mouth and coughed again. More spots of blood stained it when he pulled it away._

_Zoe sighed, defeated. "Alright. I'll let you rest for now." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight. Call me if you need anything at all."_

_Sosuke gave her a small smile. "Will do. Goodnight."_

_Zoe pulled his blanket up further and walked into her room. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she escaped the nightmare she was in. Her dreams were her only way to get away from her hell. Those too, however, would go away as well. In the meantime, she enjoyed her escape._

_The next morning Zoe awoke and found that Sosuke, her second father, had passed away during the night. She cried for his loss for a few moments, then tried to control herself. Her mentor would not have liked her to cry about this. She wiped her tears away and took a deep breath. A small smile was on Sosuke's face. At least he had gone peacefully and would not have to suffer anymore, she thought to herself._

_A few hours later Zoe had buried his body under a large oak tree that was next to the cottage. It was Sosuke's favorite place to sit down and read, so it was only right to bury him there. She placed a few wildflowers on the soil and knelt down next to it._

_"Thank you for everything, Sosuke. I will never forget you." She kissed two of her fingers then touched the ground. A moment later she sighed and left the spot._

_It was time to move on, Zoe thought. He would have wanted it that way. She headed back into the house and began to pack. After all the time she had spent there, she couldn't stand the thought of living there without Sosuke. It was time to find a new place to live, especially with the number of vampires quickly rising. They would catch on soon and Zoe was actually surprised that more of them didn't know of the cottage._

_She threw the small amount of clothing she owned into her duffle, and stuffed the remaining space with supplies she would need in the meantime. A half hour later Zoe had packed and straightened up the remainder of the mess in the house. She exited the house and began to make her way to the woods. Zoe turned around one last time to see the cottage in the distance. She wiped a tear away, then continued her journey through the woods. _

_The next few days were grueling. She spent the next few nights in the basement of an abandoned building. During the day she would explore the many crumbling buildings and houses, trying to find a new place to live. Zoe came into trouble frequently, as many of the areas were being vacated by vampires. She was attacked several times a day, but each time she had come up victorious. She refused to stay in any of those places, however, because it would be swarming with even more vampires a short time later. _

_The nights were cold and wet. Zoe had to rely on her survival skills in order not to freeze to death. She would have to curl into a ball just to keep from shivering. In order to eat she had to steal whatever she could get her hands on. Night or day, she knew that had to stay awake. Even dozing off could have resulted in her death. Vampires roamed around at all hours and no matter where Zoe hid, she knew that they could hunt her down and rip her apart in her sleep._

_Finally, five days after leaving Sosuke's cottage, she finally found a place to stay. She had stumbled across it before, but did not venture into the building. When she came across it for the second time, she decided to explore it, inside and out. It took her a minute to bust open one of the boarded up windows, and then she slid inside. The door was made of steel and seemed to be bolted shut. Zoe quickly boarded the window back up, as she did not want to give away her position. The crumbling building was an old church. After walking down the aisle, she noticed a cement staircase to the right, next to the podium. She ascended the stairs and opened the door. There was only a one room, but it was large enough where she could do some work on it. There were two stained-glass windows, both of which were broken. Colored glass littered the cement floor in long shards. _

_Zoe dropped her duffle bag onto the floor and sank down beside it._

_"Home sweet home," she said sarcastically, her eyes cast downward. She would never have an actual home again, no matter how much effort she put into it. This would do for now though. _

_Zoe sighed, then laid down. The past few days had taken a toll on her health and her sanity. She felt exhausted and sick. Her head was throbbing and her eyes burned from lack of sleep. Not even caring about being discovered anymore, she closed her eyes and let the soothing darkness take over._

**yay chapter 6 is done. hey, like i said, zoe would be in this chapter. it may have been a flashback but she was still in it. so touche' chapter 7 will resume back to the normal time. i hope this chapter gave you guys a little bit of an insight of her past and of course read and review. or else! nah just kidding......but please read and review anyway**


	8. Chapter 7

**thank you everyone for reviewing the last chapter and evil ideas are always welcome. the story will be getting more violent so if anyone has some good ideas (im talking about you too, animelover) let me know and i'll see how i can put them into play. enjoy chapter 7**

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 7**

Thunder boomed in the distance while black clouds began to form ominously. Moments later rain poured down, immediately drenching everything in sight.

Zoe walked to the window and looked out, watching the fat droplets make their way down. Wind gusted through the window, chilling her all the way to her bones. She hugged herself and climbed the ledge next to it to reach the makeshift window, as it was too high for her to reach on her own. It was stuck, however, and the wind began to blow rain into the room.

"Dammit!" She turned around to look for something to help her close the window. Finally, she decided that she would just have to force it down herself. If she used anything else, there was a chance that the window would break. Zoe faced the window once again, and gasped out of surprise.

A young man stood in the window. His blond hair was spiked up, but had started to mat down to his scalp. Drops of rain trickled down his face and onto the floor. He grinned.

"Hello there. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lee."

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Good for you. What do you want?"

"Why, I've come here for you. I must say I didn't expect you to be this beautiful."

"I'm flattered," Zoe said dryly. "What do you want with _me?"_

Lee chuckled. "You're a very sought after young woman. I've come to bring you to my master. He is just dying to become aquainted with you."

"Not interested," she replied.

His smile didn't falter, but his eyes darkened a shade. "It wasn't a request. It was an order."

Zoe smirked. "Oh, really. Well if you want me to go with you, don't expect me to go quietly."

"Oh, you're coming with me alright. You can either walk or I can drag you by your hair. Take your pick."

Zoe pretended to think. "Gee, whatever shall I do?"

Lee's smile faded as his annoyance began to set in. "You know, I was given orders to bring you to him alive, but if you continue to disobey me, then I'll simply just kill you and pretend I was never here."

"If you want me, then come and get me."

"Very well. Have it your way," he replied icily. With that he pounced on her.

Zoe fell onto her back, with him on top of her. He leaned down to bite her, only to be punched in the face. Zoe then grabbed his shoulders and rolled backward so that she was on top this time. She punched him again, and a squirt of blood splashed onto her. Lee grabbed his nose and kicked her off of him. He quickly stood and wiped his face.

"I'm going to enjoy ripping your throat out, you bitch."

Zoe backed up, waiting for his next attack. Lee lunged at her once again, ignoring the blood that was still dribbling from his nose. He attempted to grab her throat, but Zoe kneed him in the stomach. She then grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Lee was pushed into the wall as Zoe jerked his arm for a second time. He cried out, then used his free arm to elbow her in the stomach. Zoe released her grip on him and and stumbled backwards. The vampire quickly struck her across the face as hard as he could. Zoe crashed to the floor with a thud, her head spinning. A moment later Lee grabbed a handful of her golden locks and pulled her up. She winced, then swept her leg behind both of his legs. Lee fell to the ground, but still held onto her hair. Tears welled into her eyes as he dragged her down with him. She punched him in the face, hitting his already broken nose. Lee shrieked and let go of her as more blood ran down his face.

Zoe rolled away from him, then shakily stood up. "For a vampire, you sure bleed a lot," she taunted him.

He snarled at her, his white fangs glistening. "When I'm done with you there won't be single drop of blood left in you!"

Lee swung his arm, and slashed her across the chest with his sharp nails. Zoe groaned and kicked upward, catching him in the jaw. She looked down and saw three long scratches on her chest. The hit had ripped her shirt, but only a thin line of blood came out of each cut.

She glared at him, then threw herself on top of him. She pummeled her fists into his face as hard as she could, leaving no spot unharmed. Lee, however, was not going down so easy. He swung his leg up, slamming his boot into the back of her head. Zoe gasped, her eyes wide. Her skull felt as though it had been shattered. Lee threw her off and stood up. He wiped his face and stared down at her. Zoe just laid there motionless. Her head was screaming with pain and her vision began to spot. She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated as hard as she could. I'm not letting this fucker finish me off that easy, she told herself.

Her eyes slitted open only slightly so that Lee couldn't see. She glanced to the side and noticed a stake a few feet away, underneath the coffee table. Lee didn't know it was there, as the table blocked his view of it. One of his eyes was swollen shut, drastically limiting his sight. He did not notice her pick up the stake as he pulled her up by her shirt. Zoe hid it behind her back and tried to catch her breath. Lee grinned, then forced her head back. Just as he was about to sink his fangs into her bare neck, Zoe thrust the stake forward with all her might. Lee screamed, feeling the wood impale his heart. Enraged, he quickly shot one of his sharp fingernails into her throat. If I die, I'm taking this bitch with me, he thought. Zoe gasped and felt an artery pop. A moment later, Lee collapsed to the ground. Zoe grabbed her throat, feeling blood gushing from her wound.

"Shit!" Blood dripped through her fingers, spilling onto the floor. She quickly grabbed a towel that was nearby and put it up to her neck. Zoe felt her breathing starting to become restricted and began to panic. She took one last look at her assailant. Lee lay there in a crumpled mass, dead from the stake.

Zoe fell to her knees and felt tears trickle down her face as she saw the towel rapidly turning crimson. She crawled to the counter, and grabbed a second towel, only for that one to become saturated with blood only a minute later. Her head felt light and it was become harder and harder to breathe with each passing moment. She laid down and stared at the ceiling, gasping for air.

This is it, she thought. Her eyes started to close. She felt another spurt and whimpered. Zoe tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her grip loosened on the towel and it started to slide off.

"Takuya", she whispered inaudibly. She couldn't help but think of him. Zoe tried to sit up, but to no avail. Blood was pooling around her, staining her blond hair red.

Suddenly she heard a thud near the window. Shit, that guy's not dead, she thought. Zoe coughed and choked on her own blood, shuddering.

"Shit! Zoe?! Where are you?"

**ooooohhhh a cliffhanger. wow i wonder who that could be? chapter 8 coming soon. let me know if you likey. i probably should have made the fight longer but im not that great at writing fight scenes. oh well. **


	9. Chapter 8

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 8**

Takuya jumped into the window and was horrified at what he saw.

There was a young man crumpled up, and although his face was hidden, Takuya could see a stake sticking out of the guy's chest.

He took a step forward and felt himself slip. Takuya quickly caught himself and looked down to see small pools of blood surrounding him.

"Shit! Zoe?! Where are you?" He cried out.

Takuya scanned his surroundings and noticed a trail of blood heading towards the counter. He rushed over, leaving behind bloody footprints.

"Fuck!" He fell to his knees beside her and gently lifted her head.

Zoe was barely conscious. She looked terrified and felt Takuya move the towel off her neck.

"Oh, god," Takuya gasped. He had to work fast, for her time was running out. Laying her back down gently, he ran into her bathroom. He began to look through her cabinets and moments later found exactly what he needed. By the time he got back to Zoe, she was staring vacantly at the ceiling, her eyes starting to glaze over.

"Zoe, stay with me. Okay?" Takuya put her head on his lap and took out a needle and thread. "This is going to hurt, but it has to be done. I've got no choice."

Ten minutes later Zoe's wound was stitched up and covered in gauze. Takuya cradled her in his arms, then carried her over to her bed. He laid her down gently and sat beside her. Zoe's neck was stinging like hell, but she knew that it was necessary. A moment later she began to cough.

"Drink this," Takuya said, handing her a glass of water. "Try not to cough, or else the stitches could pop open."

Zoe took a drink and winced. "That bastard," she muttered. Her throat was sore and talking was painful. "Takuya? What's going on?"

"Um.....well........" He was trying to think of the best way to tell her.

"Because that guy showed up and said that his 'master' was looking for me. What was he talking about?"

Takuya rubbed his eyes. "Zoe, I can't think of an easy way of putting it, so I'm just gonna tell you." He took a deep breath. "You're kind of being hunted down......"

Zoe looked at him. "Hunted? For what? Just because I don't want to be killed by a bunch of vampires?"

"Our leader, Latharius, heard about you and what you were doing. He knows that you're powerful and sees you as a threat. So, we were told to track you down and bring you to him. Alive," he quickly added.

"That doesn't make any sense. I only kill when I'm being attacked......or annoyed......."

"Yeah, but he still sees you as an enemy. Whether or not you're killing vampires for protection, he doesn't care. He wants you to join us......but if you refuse, he'll try to kill you."

Zoe looked at him. "Did you go behind his back just to tell me this?"

Takuya nodded. "I could be killed for this, but it's worth it as long as I get you to safety."

"Takuya! What on earth were you thinking?! Why would you defy your master?" She was furious but at the same time surprised that he would go through such lengths just to help her.

He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Zoe, I did this because I care about you. I don't want to see anything happen to you." He cast his eyes down and looked disappointed. "I was almost too late, though. You could have died and I wasn't here to protect you."

Zoe painfully sat up and tilted Takuya's face up. "It's okay. It's not your job to keep me safe. It's mine. Besides if you hadn't shown up then I wouldn't be here right now. You can't deprive yourself of that credit."

His eyes darkened. "Yes I can. I've never forgiven myself for the way I treated you and I don't know if you can ever forgive me. But I'll make damn sure to try my hardest to keep you safe. Even if it puts my own life at risk."

"I can't let you do that." Zoe cleared her throat and cringed. "These past nine years I've watched friends and family die right before my eyes. Sosuke was the last person I lost, and that was over four years ago. I vowed never to get close to anyone again because I couldn't stand to lose them. Including you."

Takuya was about to say something when Zoe interrupted him. "We'll talk in a little bit. First, can you help me up? I want to jump into the shower and wash away all this blood." She began to pull the hardening strands of hair apart and flakes of blood fell onto her her pillow.

Takuya helped her stand up and walked her to the bathroom.

"Thank you. I'll be out in ten minutes." She shut the door behind her.

The vampire sighed and plopped down onto the couch. He heard the shower start a moment later.

While the water heated up, Zoe carefully undressed and examined herself in the mirror. Her face looked okay, but her body was covered with bruises and scratches. She sighed and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the caked on blood.

Fifteen minutes later she emerged, wearing only a towel.

"Forgot to grab clothes," she said. Her face was tinted red from embarrassment as she headed toward her dresser.

"It's okay." Takuya looked down and swallowed. He couldn't help but raise his eyes back up and stare at her. Drops of water ran down her smooth creamy skin. It took all of his energy not to walk over to her and sweep her into his arms.

"Be right back," Zoe said as she headed back to the bathroom with a clean outfit.

"Dammit...." Takuya walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. "This is going to be a long night."

**in case you can't tell takuya's horny. gee, wonder what gave that away. chapter 9 coming soon. read and review :D**


	10. Chapter 9

**chapter 9 is ready and i already have chapter 10 in the works. and i'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review the chapters. thank youz ;D and in case anyone is wondering, takuya may or may not keep it in his pants. we'll just have to wait and find out.**

**The Wastelands **

**Chapter 9**

"Sorry about that," Zoe said as she left the bathroom, brushing her damp hair.

"It's alright." Takuya didn't look up. He was reading what appeared to be a note and had a look of anger on his face.

"What's wrong?" Zoe looked around and became confused. "What happened to the body?"

"I ate him."

"Good one. What did you do?"

Takuya finally looked up at her. "I disposed of the body," he replied nonchalantly.

Zoe shook her head. "Not even gonna ask how......"

"Before I got rid of it, I went through his pockets and found a few things, including this note." Takuya handed it to her.

She took it from him and skimmed it. "So he was sent to personally track me down. Well, too bad for your master but I kinda killed his little hitman."

"Whatever. He was a moron and was on the verge of being killed anyway. He's one of those idiots that tried to take over, but had no clue how to do it. Guess this was his last chance of redemption."

Zoe smirked. "Well, now he doesn't have to worry about going back empty handed. I did him a favor."

Takuya pulled her down on the couch beside him.

"I'm going to change your gauze, seeing how you got this one soaked." He began to remove it off her neck.

"Sorry. I just wanted to clean up a bit," she said apologetically.

"It's alright. You seem to have an endless supply of gauze pads anyway."

Zoe shrugged. "You never know. I've already gone through like eight cardboard boxes of the stuff in the past year."

Takuya shook his head. "How you've managed to stay alive for so long is beyond me."

"What can I say? I've learned to take care of myself."

Takuya didn't reply as he taped on a fresh pad.

"Thanks," Zoe said, touching the pad gingerly.

He nodded and they both sat there in complete silence. A few minutes later, Zoe broke the ice.

"So now what?"

"Only thing we can do. Put you into hiding. It's the only way to keep you safe." Takuya looked at her. "I'll make sure I get you somewhere, but then I'm going to have to leave."

"What's going to happen to you?" Zoe asked worridly.

"I'll be fine," he lied.

Zoe didn't look convinced. "Will you be, or are you just telling me that you will be okay?"

"No, it'll be okay. Alright?" His eyes bore into hers.

She looked down and nodded.

"I've recruited a few of my friends to help us get you to safety," he said.

"I think I know who you're talking about," she replied with a smirk.

Takuya rubbed his neck and smiled apologetically. "Yeah, sorry about that. They're pains in the ass, but overall they're not that bad."

"Nah, it's alright. If they try anything I'll kick their asses," she quipped.

"No shit. But they have my back." Takuya noticed the scratches on her chest, and pulled her shirt down slightly to get a better look.

Zoe froze, and her face turned bright red. "Takuya!"

"What?" He then realized what he was doing. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean it like that. It's just that you know- I saw the scratches, and uh......"

She looked like she wanted to smack him upside the head but restrained herself. "It's okay. Next time just ask before you jump down my shirt."

"Sorry.........."

Before things got even more awkward, Zoe decided to change the subject.

"So.....do you have any ideas where I could go?"

Takuya nodded. "A few. I'm having the guys look into them right now. They'll let me know in a little while. I told them to come here as soon as they find out." He paused for a moment, then looked at her. "You may want to pack a few things for when we leave. Because as soon as they show up, we're leaving. I have to get you out of here as soon as possible."

Zoe sighed, then began to gather up a few belongings. She grabbed her duffle bag and put a few outfits in it, along with some of her weapons.

"Zoe, you won't need any of that stuff."

She pushed her hair out of her face. "You never know. I may need these sooner than you think."

Takuya considered it, then agreed. "Yeah, you have a point. I'm hoping you won't need them but it would probably be safer to have them anyway."

Zoe didn't say anything as she stuffed a few more things into her bag. Takuya made his way to the bar and poured them each a drink.

"Hope you like your drinks strong."

"Oh, good idea. Get us trashed before we make my escape." Zoe shook her head and smiled.

Takuya smiled back. "Not trashed. Just relaxed." He handed her a glass. "Cheers."

They both downed their drinks. Zoe squeezed her eyes shut as the alcohol burned her throat. She groaned and rubbed her sore neck.

"Probably not the best idea for me to drink with these stupid stitches."

Takuya was already pouring himself another glass. "What?" He asked, not really paying attention.

"Never mind."

Just as Takuya went to drink, Kouji leapt into the window. He was panting.

"Hey.........oh, good. Alcohol," he said, stumbling over.

"Dude, are you okay?" Takuya handed Kouji his drink. Kouji needed it more than he did.

The black-haired vampire gulped it down, relishing it. "I'm fine. I just rushed here as fast as I could."

"Where are the others?" Takuya asked.

"I already got ahold of them. I gave them directions how to get here. Don't worry," he said, catching Takuya's look. "I told them to be careful and not to let anyone see them."

"Good. Zoe, this is Kouji. Kouji, this is Zoe. But you guys already met." Takuya smirked.

"Yup. Not the best first encounter but whatever," Zoe replied.

Kouji looked down. "My bad. Takuya didn't tell me that you were his girlfriend until later."

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"I know. He told me that you used to be, though."

"Alright," Takuya interrupted, trying to change the subject. "Damn, where are those guys?"

As if on cue, Kouichi jumped into the room, with Tommy close behind.

"Hey guys. Where's J.P.?" Takuya asked.

"He'll be here in a little bit," Kouichi told him.

"Alright, the only place that looked safe enough was the place that Tommy checked out," Kouji said. "It's forty-five minutes away and it looked clear of all activity. The place hasn't been touched in years, according to Tommy."

"Yeah, Zoe should be safe there. She just needs to keep a low profile for awhile and let the search for her die down," Tommy explained.

"Good. As soon as J.P. shows up, we'll get ready to leave." Takuya looked at them, serious. "The four of you can come, but when we get to the halfway point, start heading back. That will be a safe enough distance where I can bring Zoe alone."

J.P. entered a moment later. He was carrying a black bag. "Sorry. Got here as fast as I could. I brought the clothes you asked for." He handed Takuya the bag.

Zoe looked at the bag, slightly confused. "What are the clothes for?"

"Well, if we're going to smuggle you out, it would be easier for you to look like a vampire. It won't look as suspicious and we can make an easier getaway." Takuya handed the bag to Zoe.

She looked into the bag and her eyes widened. "You want me to wear _this_? Hell no!"

"Come on, Zoe. It's the only way," Takuya said.

Zoe sighed. "Dammit. Be out in a few minutes." She walked into the bathroom and locked the door.

"She's going to kill me when she gets out," Takuya said, trying to contain his laughter.

"Damn right I will!" Zoe shouted from the bathroom.

The five vampires burst into laughter, with Zoe yelling at them to shut up. Although Takuya was laughing on the outside, he was a nervous wreck. The worst had yet to come and he knew it.

**chapter 9 is done as you can see. don't know how many chapters i have left. im kinda just going with the flow for now and we'll see what happens. read and review please!!!!!! :D**


	11. Chapter 10

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 10**

"Come on, Zoe! Get out of the bathroom."

"No! I feel naked......"

Takuya shook his head. "When you come out, just throw on your leather overcoat. We gotta get going."

Zoe sighed and emerged a few seconds later. She was wearing what looked like a leather bra with a silver clasp holding the cups together. The skin-tight leather mini-skirt exposed most of her legs and she had on black high-heeled shoes. The heels were spiked and silver. Around her throat was a black choker with a silver cross on it. She had trimmed the gauze on neck down so that it didn't show as much. Her blond hair flowed freely over her shoulders and down her back.

If Takuya's heart had been beating, it would have gone a mile a minute.

"I'm going to kill you." Zoe shrugged her leather overcoat on and began to tie the belt, only to be stopped.

"Keep it open. Just for now," he quickly added, noticing her look of anger. "We need you to look as convincing as possible. Did you put the fangs on, too?"

"Yeah." She had been given two decals to put over her teeth to resemble fangs. They were a bit uncomfortable. "How long do I have to keep these on?"

"Just long enough to get through the city. You'll still need the outfit on, but you'll at least be able to take the decals off." He looked at his friends and scowled. "Stop staring at her!"

"Sorry!" They cast their eyes down.

"Can't help it if she looks hot," Kouichi muttered.

"Then go have sex when you come back," Takuya said impatiently. "We gotta leave. Now." He put emphasis on the last word.

The others nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, the six of them began to walk down the road.

"Are we walking the entire distance?" Zoe asked Takuya quietly.

"No. When they said forty-five minutes, they meant a forty-five minute travel. For vampires. At full speed."

Zoe looked worried. "How are we going to get there?"

"Kouji has a van parked a few minutes away. They're going to drive us part of the way. Then when we get to a certain point, they'll head back and I can bring you the rest of the way," Takuya said.

"It won't look suspicious for a bunch of vampires to use a vehicle when you guys are fully capable of running just as fast, if not faster?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, vampires can be pretty lazy sometimes. We do it all the time."

Zoe was still a little worried, and shifted her duffle bag. Takuya took if from her a moment later.

"No, it's okay. I can carry it," she insisted.

"I got it. Besides, I already feel sorry for you for having to wear those shoes. They look pretty damn uncomfortable," Takuya said. He winced just looking at them.

"They do hurt, but it could be worse."

Along the way, they passed crowds of vampires. None of them seemed suspicious, but plenty of them seemed horny. One of them looked at Zoe and licked his lips.

"Back off. She's _my_ bitch," Takuya snarled.

The vampire backed off, but held a small smile on his face. "If you ever get bored of him, come find me," he said seductively.

"Don't think so," Zoe said icily.

They continued to walk for a few more minutes, then came up to a black van. Kouji hopped into the driver's seat, with Takuya getting shotgun. Zoe sat between them, and the other three sat behind them. Kouji started the van and they began to take off. For most of the drive no one said much of anything. About twenty-five minutes later, they pulled over.

"This is where we get out," Takuya explained to Zoe, then looked at his friends. "Thanks for doing this for me, guys. I owe you one."

"Any time," Kouji replied. "If you need anything, let us know. We'll get in contact with you if we notice any suspicion."

Takuya nodded. "Later." He slid out of the vehicle, then helped Zoe get out safely.

Kouichi hopped into the front next to his brother. "See ya."

"And be careful, guys," Kouji added.

"Will do," Takuya replied.

"Bye," Zoe said.

"Bye." The four of them were back on the road moments later.

Takuya and Zoe watched them until the vehicle had completely disappeared from their sight.

"Alright, let's go." Takuya slid the duffle bag onto his shoulder, then embraced Zoe in his strong arms. "We'll be there soon," he said quietly.

Zoe could feel his warm breath on her neck. Her legs suddenly felt weak, and she held onto him for support. "Okay. I'm ready."

Takuya smiled and they took off. The entire ordeal seemed dreamlike to Zoe. Everything was blurry and as fast as they were traveling, it seemed as though time had slowed down. She felt as though she were flying, and she held onto him tighter, burying her face into his chest. Takuya stroked her hair, feeling the silkiness of her blond locks.

"Are we flying?" Zoe asked softly.

"Shhh. Just relax and don't worry about it."

Zoe closed her eyes and felt herself practically melt into his body.

_Elsewhere in Latharius's domain_

"Kiba! Serena!"

A raven-haired young man hurried to his master, with a brunette close behind him. "What is it, my master?" He asked.

"Are there any leads on that woman yet?" Latharius was already getting impatient.

The brunette, Serena, shook her head. "Not yet, my lord. We are trying our hardest to track her down."

"Well try harder. The sooner I have her the better." He thought for a moment, then continued. "Has anyone seen Takuya? He told me that he would search for her himself. I have very high expectations of him and he should have reported back to me by now."

"Actually, "Kiba said nervously. "You gave him twenty-four hours to track her down and then an additional twenty-four hours to retrieve the girl. So in all reality, he's doing exactly what you told him to."

Latharius glared at him. "Do you dare defy me, Kiba?"

Kiba frantically shook his head. "No! Not at all. I'm just saying that maybe he got caught up looking for her. Takuya's your best tracker. He probably already got a lead on her and is investigating it right as we speak."

The vampire lord considered it for a moment. "Alright. But if anyone should see Takuya, tell him I wish to speak to him."

A red-haired vampire came out of nowhere, hearing their conversation. "Master, I think I saw Takuya not that long ago. He was walking down the street with some of his friends. I don't know where they were headed, but they'll probably be back soon."

"As much as I hate _eavesdropping_," he hissed, "I'll let it slide just because it's important."

She nodded, grateful. "You know, he was with Kouji, Kouichi, Tommy, J.P., and some girl."

Latharius raised an eyebrow. "A girl?"

"Yeah, but I didn't recognize her, so she must be new or something."

"Did you happen to get a good look at her?"

She thought for a moment. "She had long blond hair, and a leather top with a mini skirt. She also had on a black trenchcoat."

A thin smile spread across his face. "Would the three of you excuse me? I have some important matters to think about."

"Yes, my lord." The three of them scurried away, relieved to be walking away in one piece.

"So, Takuya has a little friend with him. A little _blond _friend." He smirked, and swirled the glass he was holding, swishing around its bloody contents. A few seconds later, his smile faded and his fingers tightened around the glass, shattering it. Shards rained down onto the floor, and its contents dripped down his hand. "Insolent traitor. He shall get what is coming to him." He licked one of his fingers clean, his eyes glinting. "Sooner than he may expect."

**uh-oh takuya's in trouble now. hoped you liked this chapter. i didn't know how to explain how the vampires travel, but if you've ever seen queen of the damned its kind of along those lines. the next chapter is coming soon. maybe even sooner than you think.......**


	12. Chapter 11

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 11**

Before Zoe knew it, they had stopped.

"We're here." Takuya loosened his grip on her so that she could look around.

They stood in front of a small house, similar to Sosuke's. It wasn't as well put together, but it had been deserted a long time ago, so it was to be expected.

"It's not the greatest, but it'll do for now. Just long enough for the search to die down." Takuya opened the door and led her inside.

Zoe pulled the decals off her teeth, unable to take it anymore. She discarded them into a wastebasket nearby.

There were a few pieces of funiture, along with a small kitchen area. Pots and pans were hanging from the wall, but the open cabinets appeared to be empty. They explored the house, but there was only two other rooms. One was the bathroom, and the other was a bedroom. In contrast to the plain decor in the rest of the house, the bedroom had an elegant look to it. There was a large cherrywood bed with light blue bedding. A matching dresser stood in the corner, next to the large walk-in closet. As beautiful as it looked, however, it was apparent that no one had been there for quite awile. A layer of dust covered everything, except for the bedding itself.

"Not too bad, huh?" Takuya smiled.

Zoe looked at him worriedly. "Will you come back for me?"

Takuya looked into her eyes. "Not right away. But I promise that I will return to you."

"Do you know how long?" She asked. Why am I acting like this, she asked herself. No matter what, I can't stop thinking about him.

The vampire noticed a tear trickle down her face and wiped it away. He tilted Zoe's face up to his. "I'm not exactly sure. It could be a few weeks. Or maybe even a few months." He didn't want to leave her. It was killing him knowing that he couldn't stay by her side.

"But you promise that you'll come back?" Zoe asked him.

"Yeah, I promise. I have to go." He gently took her into his arms, holding her to his chest. "I'm sorry."

Zoe hugged him back, burying her face into his shoulder. "Be careful."

"I will," he said quietly. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, his eyes scanning over her. He couldn't take it anymore. "Oh, to hell with it!" He kicked the door closed and kissed her.

Zoe didn't even try to resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his passionate kiss. Takuya ran his hands down her back, sliding his fingers into the back of her top. Her skin felt silky and smooth. Zoe gripped his shoulders and squeezed his rock-hard muscles. She worked her way down, feeling his chiseled chest beneath his shirt. Takuya ripped his shirt off and threw it aside. A moment later he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. Zoe couldn't help but stare at his rippled abs as he crawled onto her.

"I don't fucking care anymore," he said as he buried his face into her neck. "Everyone else can go to hell right now. I need you." He nuzzled her collarbone, then ran his lips lower onto her. He came to her chest and kissed it.

Zoe gasped, feeling his hot breath on her. She held onto his hips, then ran her hands over his ass, up to his back. Takuya shifted and kissed her lips again, nearly crushing her beneath him. "Do you want this?" He asked.

She looked at him. "No."

A look of disappointment came across his face. "Oh....." He began to sit up, only to be pulled back down.

"I need this. I need you." Zoe ran her fingers into his chestnut hair.

Takuya smirked. "Good." He sat up slightly and unclipped the front of her top, only to feel her undo his pants. "Well then, don't keep me waiting." He cupped her face and began to kiss her all over, taking care to avoid her stitches.

She relaxed and let him take control, holding onto him as if he would disappear if she let go.

_Elsewhere with Takuya's friends_

"I hope they got there okay," Tommy said as they began to get closer to the city. They were only about five minutes away by now.

"Takuya's not stupid. I'm sure he got them there just fine," Kouichi replied.

J.P. shifted in his seat. "We gotta keep an eye out. Just in case anyone had happened to see us."

"As long as we stick to the story we should be fine," Kouji said. He turned, and swerved past a body lying in the middle of the road. "Just be cool."

Tommy gazed out the window worriedly. He didn't know what it was, but he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

J.P. noticed his expression. "You alright?"

"I'm not gonna lie. I have a bad feeling about something. I'm not exactly sure what, but I sense something wrong."

Kouichi frowned. "Do you think it has anything to do with Takuya and Zoe getting to their destination?"

Tommy shook his head. "I don't think so. Just keep your eyes peeled for now."

The others said nothing and minutes later they were driving into the broken city. Kouji parked on the side of the road, signaling for them to get out. They raced back to their turf, the same place they had lured Zoe into the other day. Kouichi entered first, followed by Kouji, J.P. and Tommy a moment later. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Nervously, they stalked their way through the building, know exactly when to dodge an object. Suddenly they heard a swish. Before they knew it, the four of them had been seized.

J.P. felt two people grab onto his arms, trying to restrain him. He swung his arms as hard as he could, sending his captors flying. His three friends did the same to theirs. Only a second later, they were grabbed again. This time each one of them was being restrained by at least four people. They couldn't break free as they were shoved onto the floor. As they struggled, they heard a deep laughter.

"Shit!" Kouji realized who it was.

"Let us go!" Tommy writhed and squirmed to get away, but to no avail.

Latharius stepped out of the shadows. "Why, look what we have here. Did you really think I wouldn't find out what you were up to?"

"We don't know what you're talking about!" J.P. exclaimed.

"Of course you do. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You helped Takuya and that bitch escape." He shook his head and smirked. "I thought Takuya was more loyal than that. But apparently I was wrong."

"The girl that was with us was just some bitch that was only recently turned into a vampire. We went out to hunt to show her how it works," Kouichi spat out. "They were horny, so we left them alone. Takuya will be back soon. And the girl will be with him. Then you'll see that you're completely wrong about he entire thing."

Latharius laughed dryly. "You are worthless." He struck Kouichi across the face. "Don't screw around with me. If you dare lie to me again, you'll have a stake through your chest in a matter of seconds. Take them away!" He commanded his guards.

The four of them we dragged away, all the while trying to free themselves.

"Don't worry," Latharius called after them. "You're friend Takuya will be joining you soon enough. That is, if I decide to let him live that long."

A few minutes later, they were shackled in a dark, musty room. The guards looked at them one last time, then slammed the metal door shut. They heard the click of the lock and were left alone.

"Just fucking great," Kouji muttered. "Now what?"

Tommy sighed. "We wait. And hope that Takuya has a fighting chance."

**chapter 11 is done. no, takuya could not keep it in his pants anymore so whatever they have sex. that was a little tricky because i didnt want to go too overboard and have to change the rating. i figured a little undressing and some grabass wouldn't be too graphic. and if it is, then sue me! *twitches, then regains composure* sorry about that, ill go take my medicine. anyway i hope you liked it. chapter 12 will be coming in a day or two. read and review. ;)**


	13. Chapter 12

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 12**

Takuya woke up a few hours later, noticing Zoe nestled in his arms. He leaned down to kiss her, being careful not to wake her. Gently, he shifted her off him off, allowing him to get up. He began to get dressed as quietly as he could.

"I hope you realize I can hear you."

Takuya jumped slightly. "Sorry. I didn't want to wake you."

Zoe sat up, holding the covers over herself. "I wanted you to wake me anyway. So I could say goodbye to you."

The vampire sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on his shoes and socks. "I wouldn't have just left like that."

"Yeah, I would have to smack you upside the head if you tried to pull something like that." Zoe smiled, trying to hide her sadness.

Takuya pulled his coat on, then faced Zoe. He took her into his arms, holding her to his chest. "I have to leave now. I shouldn't have been away for so long. I hope the guys are okay." He looked worried.

Zoe nodded in agreement. "I understand. Thank you for staying with me for the past few hours. I feel a little bit better about being here."

"That's good." He tilted her face up to his. "I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. Whether it's a few days, or weeks, or even months, I'll come back. I promise." He kissed her softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Zoe buried her face in his shoulder and began to cry. "Take care of yourself."

Takuya smiled. "No need to cry. I'll be just fine. If anyone messes with me I'll kill them. Speaking of which, I'm gonna need to kill someone along the way anyway. I haven't eaten in a while." He gently pulled away. "Bye Zoe."

Zoe smiled weakly. "Bye."

He gave her one last kiss, then was gone a moment later. She heard the front door open and close, then what sounded like a gust of wind. This time he was gone for good.

"I'll be waiting for you," Zoe whispered as she laid back down. She sighed and rolled over, letting sleep take over once again.

_At Latharius's domain_

"It's finally complete!"

The vampire lord turned to face his servant. "Good. Give it to me," he commanded.

His servant, Nathaniel, eagerly handed the large glass vile to him. "It took me weeks to perfect it, but it's finally done."

Latharius studied it, a smile spreading across his face. "Well done. I could not have asked for better timing. This is exactly what I'll need to get my revenge on that traitor Takuya and that bitch. He'll rue the day he decided to conspire against me. I'll have him begging for mercy in only a matter of seconds."

Nathaniel handed him a syringe. "You'll need this, my lord."

"Perfect." His eyes gleamed. "All I need now is Takuya, and then the game begins."

_In the dungeon_

Kouji yanked at his chains frantically. "We have to get the hell outta here."

"No shit. But how are we going to do that? Even if we break out of these chains, we'll still have to get through Latharius and his morons." Kouichi was sitting down. He had given up on the chains for the time being.

"I don't know! But if we don't do something, Latharius is going to kill Takuya. And then he'll track Zoe down and kill her, too."

"We understand, Kouji," J.P. intercepted. "But Kouichi's right. These stupid shackles are indestructible. A nuclear bomb couldn't destroy them."

Tommy stood up. "I don't care how we do it, but we'll get out of here one way or another. True, we may not be able to take on everyone in the building, but as long as we can escape, we have a chance. Takuya needs us right now, and he has never asked us for help before. It's time we turn things around."

Kouichi stood up. "Alright. Let's give it another try. I don't know about you, but these chains are pretty friggen uncomfortable."

_Back with Takuya_

Takuya stood up and wiped the blood off his face. "Thanks buddy. You tasted damn good." He went through the dead man's coat pockets for the hell of it. All he had was an empty wallet, a lighter, and a pocket knife.

Takuya took the knife and studied it for a moment. It wasn't the greatest thing ever, but it may come in handy later on. He slipped it into his pocket, then continued on.

He finally arrived at the city. Slowly, he made his way down the empty streets. The longer he walked, the more of a bad feeling he got. There was no turning back on this point, though. Takuya continued his journey towards the building he and his friends normally vacated at.

A few minutes later, he stood in front of the decrepit building.

It's now or never, he thought to himself. He had promised to keep Zoe safe, even if it put his own life at risk. And he was not about to go back on his word. Takuya entered, knowing exactly what was about to come. He put up no resistance as three vampires grabbed him and tied his wrists and ankles together.

"How did I know this was going to happen?" He said sarcastically. "Next time try not to make it so obvious."

Laughter boomed within the shadows, and Takuya didn't even have to guess who it belonged to.

"Takuya, my boy. Welcome back." Latharius was sitting on a large crimson throne.

Takuya looked around in the darkness. "Decided to redecorate, I see. Not exactly the look I would have gone for, but whatever."

"Do you know why I am doing this to you?" His master's eyes bore into his. "I don't appreciate it when I've been betrayed. Especially when it's my second in command who has gone behind my back!"

Takuya was dragged closer to him, much to his annoyance. "Easy, you dumb bastards."

"Silence. You are in no position to speak. You should be begging for your life if anything else," Latharius growled.

"Sorry, but I don't beg." He was given a kick in the ribs. "Ow! You better watch yourselves," he warned the three vampires surrounding him.

One of them laughed. "Why? What are you going to do about it?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something like this!" Takuya suddenly swung his legs, tripping two of the men.

Before the third one could hit him, he had rolled safely out of the way. With all his might, he yanked his arms and legs apart, breaking the ropes. Takuya grabbed one of them and hurled him across the room, straight into the wall. The youngest-looking vampire attempted to jump onto his back and break his neck. Takuya shifted him, them thrust him into the air, straight into the splintered ceiling. The vampire was impaled in his stomach and chest, then hang from the ceiling, dead. His remaining captor managed to punch him in the face, but was forcefully grabbed in mid-air. Takuya held him over his head, then crashed him down onto his knee, breaking the man's back.

A moment later, he felt a sharp pain in his back. He reached behind, and pulled out a long arrow. "What the fuck? Going back to the medieval days for weaponry I see."

Latharius laughed. "Indeed. But you see, that's no ordinary arrow. It's been dipped in a special chemical that will temporarily cause your body to shut down. But don't worry. I don't plan on killing you just yet."

Takuya suddenly felt tired. His bones and muscles became sore and he sank to his knees. A burning sensation was rushing through his body, almost paralyzing him. He collapsed a few seconds later, unable to even hold himself up anymore. His body was useless to him.

"Lock him with the others. I'll deal with him later. I've got more important matters on my hands." He looked at Takuya. "I hope you found a good hiding place for your girlfriend. But either way, she'll be in my clutches soon enough."

"Don't you dare touch her!"

His master only laughed. "Sleep tight, Takuya. For when you wake up, your nightmare begins."

**hope you like this chapter. stay tuned for chapter 13, coming tomorrow most likely. **


	14. Chapter 13

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 13**

Zoe paced around the house restlessly. Ever since she had woken up a few hours ago, she had no idea what to do with herself. She was given instructions to keep a low profile, ruining any chances she would have to train. If anyone should see her, grave consequences could arise. She had no choice but to remain indoors for the time being.

"Well, this is fantastic," she muttered to herself. "What now?"

Although she was not hungry, she could have cooked something to keep herself occupied. Unfortunately, there was no food in the house, and Zoe had only brought a few things to eat with her. She had to use those sparingly for now. Finally, she decided to clean the house. An hour and a half later the house was spotless. But now she was back to square one.

"I'm going to kill myself. If I don't go insane first." She sat on the sofa, holding her face in her hands.

Clang!

Zoe sprang up, and quickly looked around. Her eyes scanned the house as she crept her way to the bathroom. She couldn't see anyone as she crossed the room. As she got to the bathroom, she took a deep breath and silently counted to three. A moment later, she jumped into the doorway, ready to attack. It was empty.

"I really am going nuts," she mumbled.

No sooner had she spoken, a window in the living room crashed open from the outside. A young woman with dark curls hopped into the room, her boots crushing the glass beneath her.

"Hello." When she smiled, Zoe could see her white fangs glistening.

"Well so much for this place being undiscovered." Zoe shook her head, aggravated.

The woman slowly walked over to her. "Today must be my lucky day."

Zoe took a good look at her. She was wearing a black corset with red laces tying up the front, dangling below her cleavage. Her black silk skirt ended a few inches above her knees, with a slit at the side. A knife was strapped to her exposed thigh. Black combat boots and red bracelets completed her outfit. Within her black curls were crimson streaks and a ruby barrette glimmered over her left ear.

"Can I help you?" Zoe asked with an unimpressed look.

The vampire only smiled. "My name is Giselle. And as you can see it only took a matter of hours before one of us found you. Wherever you hide, we will always find you."

"Well, isn't this an inconvenience. I'm not in the mood, so I suggest you leave now before I really get pissed off."

Giselle stopped. She was only ten feet away. "I'll leave only when you're good and dead. I know what you did to Lee. When I'm through with you you'll wish that you had just let him finish you off."

Zoe felt as though she was at her breaking point. She couldn't take it anymore. Everywhere she went she was being pursued and she was sick of it. Before Giselle could even register what had happened, Zoe had tackled her.

She began to beat her mercilessly, letting the anger take over. Giselle screamed and tried to shield her face with her elbow, only for it to be knocked away. Her hand went to her thigh as she fumbled to get her knife out of its strap. When she had finally succeeded, Zoe forcefully grabbed it from her and held it to the vampire's throat.

Giselle froze, feeling the blade dig into her skin. She swallowed.

"I am sick and tired of this shit," Zoe hissed at her. "I'm sick and tired of being stalked day and night. I'll come back and go see your master."

Giselle smirked. "I'm glad you saw it my way." She tried to shift. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get off me!"

A glint came into Zoe's eye. "I said I would go to your master. I didn't say I was going back with you."

Before the vampire could say anything, Zoe ripped the knife into her throat. Giselle shuddered violently, her legs shaking and kicking the floor. A few seconds later she stopped. She had been virtually decapitated by her own weapon.

Zoe stood up, dropping the bloody knife to the floor. Her eyes were dark with vengence. Deep in her heart, she knew that Takuya and his friends hadn't made it back safely. This is all my fault, she thought to herself. None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for me.

She couldn't take it anymore. It was time to end this living hell. Zoe picked up her overcoat and shrugged it on, taking one last look at the pathetic girl on the floor. She shook her head and began to fill the coat pockets with her usual supplies.

"It's showtime."

_In the dungeon_

"Takuya! Wake up."

"Come on. You have to get up. We need you right now."

Takuya groaned and rolled onto his side. Every single muscle in his body hurt at the slightest movement. "What the fuck?" He asked, disoriented.

"You okay? Takuya?"

The brown-haired vampire slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurred at first but it quickly cleared. He could see his four friends hovering above him with worried expressions.

"Ahh...my head is friggen killing me," he muttered, sitting up.

"Are you alright?" Tommy asked him.

"Other than feeling like I've been run over by a bus, I'm just friggen peachy." He rubbed his head. "Where are we?"

"Actually, we're in the building that we normally hang out in. Latharius locked us in this dungeon-type thing that's like twenty feet underground,"Kouji replied angrily. "They attacked us when we got back, and we've been here ever since."

Takuya looked down, feeling guility. "I'm sorry guys. I shouldn't have gotten you involved in the first place. Now because of me, that bastard might kill all of us instead of just me."

Kouichi sighed. "No. We're in this together. Now, I don't know about you, but I think Latharius is nothing but a power-hungry monster. I want to see him taken down."

The others nodded in agreement. Takuya still felt miserable, though.

"Yeah, but I still shouldn't have dragged you into this."

"Shut up." J.P. looked stern. "Knock it off, Takuya. This isn't your fault, so stop blaming yourself before I knock you out again."

Takuya smirked. "Alright." He slowly stood up. "First things first. We have to get outta here."

"We've been trying ever since we got here," Tommy told him. "But so far we haven't even been able to put a scratch on these stupid chains."

"Well, let's try it." Takuya grabbed his shackles and began to yank on them as hard as he could. The others followed suit, tugging on their own. About ten minutes later, they collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"Shit......" Kouji was slowly conking his head on the ground repeatedly.

Takuya stared at his shackles and sighed. "I guess all we can do for now is wait."

"How do you think Zoe's holding up?" Kouichi asked him.

"She should be okay. And besides, if anyone does find her, she'll rip them apart." Takuya smiled weakly. "She can take care of herself better than I ever could."

The others didn't know what to say. Takuya seemed to off in his own world anyway, as his eyes looked vacant. All they could do for now was wait. Again. As much as they hated to be captive, they were much safer now than when Latharius finally got his hands on them.

**chapter 13 is finished! let's hear a round of applause! *hears crickets chirping* .........okay........let's give a nice loud cheer! *hears that even the crickets have stopped making noise* oh come on! work with me! ...........eh, whatever. chapter 14 will be out sooner than you know it. review this chapter if you have time........please.......pretty please...........PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP?! *gets dragged away by security* no! you'll never take me alive! anyway, hoped you liked this chapter. byez**


	15. Chapter 14

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 14**

Zoe had already traveled two hours, and she was beginning to get tired. It would still take her another three hours to get to her destination, but she didn't want to be exhausted by the time she got there. She stopped for a moment and thought she heard something in the distance. A few seconds later she realized that the sound was a motorcycle coming from the distance.

"Perfect." She smiled, then hid behind a bush, waiting to make her attack.

The sound was getting louder as the bike quickly approached her. After waiting about ten more seconds, Zoe pounced onto her target. The vampire driving it had been thrown into a boulder, while his motorcycle spun wildly on the pavement.

"Thanks." Zoe stood the bike up, then hopped onto it.

"Hey!" The vampire attempted to go after her, but by the time he had stumbled over to where she was, she had already taken off.

He stood there for a few seconds and smiled. And then he followed her with his vampire speed.

Zoe looked back and noticed him quickly catching up to her. She whistled to herself nonchalantly as she used one hand to pull a stake out of her coat. After waiting for him to get closer, she flung it back at him. It hit him perfectly in the chest. He fell to ground, dead, with a cloud of dirt billowing around him.

The blond continued her journey, finally reaching her destination without anymore problems. She ditched the motorcycle and, although she wasn't too sure where to find Latharius, she hoped that she would stumble upon his domain.

As she made her way through the city, she noticed how deserted it was. There was no sign of life in sight. Zoe sighed. With each step she took she was getting closer, but at the same time her heart rate steadily increased. She was nervous and she had every right to be. This was going to be the hardest thing she would ever have to do. On top of that she didn't even know if she would survive to see its outcome. There was only one way to find out. And that was to continue on.

_Elsewhere _

"Master!"

Latharius looked over to see Trini, a beautiful vampire with long straight black hair and bangs, rushing towards him.

"What is it?"

"That girl you've been searching for is on her way here. I just saw her in the distance."

The vampire lord grinned. "Excellent. She saved me the aggravation of having to track her down. Make sure she knows we're here."

"Right away!" Trini exited the building to lure Zoe in.

"Get the others!" Latharius boomed to his guards. "Bring them in here right away. We must put everything into play by the time that girl gets here."

"Yes, Master." They turned to retrieve the captive friends.

Latharius smiled to himself, feeling confident with everything. Nothing could have gone any better than he planned.

Moments later, Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, Tommy, and J.P. were dragged into the room.

"So glad you could join me." Latharius stood up.

He motioned to five chains suspended to the ceiling. Four of them were directly in front of the wall, while the fifth was hanging closer to the center of the room. "Put those four against the wall. I have other plans for Takuya."

Takuya was dragged to the chain, while he watched his friends being shackled to the wall. His arms were forced over his head, and his wrists were bound together by the cold metal. He heard a lock snap into place. Moments later, he felf his shirt starting to rip away from his body.

"What the hell are you doing?" Takuya growled.

"We can't start until everything is in place," his master replied, as if it was no big deal.

Seconds later, Takuya was shirtless and barefoot, with only his pants intact. He struggled to free himself, already knowing it would be pointless.

"I decided to take the liberty to tell you that your little girlfriend is on her way here right now."

Takuya's eyes burned into his. "You're lying!"

Latharius shook his head, feigning sadness. "No, I'm afraid not, my dear boy. I sent Trini out not that long ago to make sure that girl knows exactly where to find us."

"I don't believe you." Takuya prayed he was only trying to mess with his head.

"Believe what you want. You'll see soon enough."

_Back to Zoe_

The blond slowly walked through the dusty and abandoned roads, listening carefully.

"This way my dear," she heard faintly in the distance. Zoe stopped in her tracks, holding a stake ready in her hand.

She listened again. Although she heard nothing else, something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Zoe looked up and saw a young woman gracefully leap from one rooftop to another. The woman peered down at Zoe with a small smile, then continued to jump forward onto another rooftop.

She was wearing a black tulle shirt with green ribbons tying the front, similar to the style of Giselle's. Although part of the shirt clung to her chest, the sleeves hang loosly and were blowing softly in the breeze. A black and green layered tulle skirt covered most of her legs and she wore black ankle boots with a silver chain fastened around one of them. She wore light green eyeshadow and Zoe could see a small emerald near the corner of one of her eyes.

"If you wish to save the one you care about, follow me," Trini taunted. Her voice was soft, yet ominous.

Zoe knew that she was being lured, but that was the whole point of coming back anyway. They were prepared for her arrival, as was she. Without a word, the blond followed the direction where Trini led her. Within a few minutes, she recognized the building in which she had first encountered Takuya and his friends. She had already had a feeling this was the place where Latharius would be waiting, but she had hoped it wouldn't be.

Trini disappeared inside the crumbling landmark. Zoe felt her adrenaline pump as she ascended the concrete steps. She felt scared, which was an emotion she rarely felt. On the other hand, she felt more enraged than she had been in years. She hadn't felt so mad since the day Takuya broke her heart. Only now she was ready to kill.

**yay now its starting to get good, or so i hope. ill have the next chapter out as fast as i can. read and review ;D see ya next time.**


	16. Chapter 15

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 15**

Zoe entered the building and slammed the heavy door shut behind her. The room had been lit up with candles being held in a black chandelier hanging from the ceiling. To her dismay, she immediately noticed Takuya chained in the center of the large room.

"Takuya!"

"Zoe, I told you not to come back! Why the fuck did you?" Takuya was furious at her.

"Zoe is it?" Latharius intercepted.

The blond took a good look at him. He was about 6'4 with a long navy blue cloak covering him from the top of his neck down past his feet, where it pooled around him. Gold trimmed decorated the loose-fitting sleeves. His black hair was slicked back and a thin scar ran from the corner of his right eye down to his jaw.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "You're the vampire lord?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes I am. Why, is there a problem?" He smirked at her.

She simply shrugged. "Figured you'd be a lot more intimidating."

"Zoe, are you crazy?" Takuya shouted at her.

Latharius held his smiled, though it faltered for a moment. He silently waved his hand, signaling for his guards to surround her.

Zoe looked at the five guards rushing towards her. She quickly dodged one of them, then grabbed him around the throat. The vampire was slammed into the wall and gasped as he felt a metal pipe inpale his chest. Another guard, this one a woman with wavy red hair jumped onto Zoe. She tried to wrap her legs around her neck and strangle her. Zoe leaned back as far as she could, then slammed the girl onto the floor, forcing her to release her. She grabbed two stakes and threw them, catching two more of the guards and killing them. The redhead tackled Zoe to the ground, but she managed to kick her off, hurling the girl into the remaining guard. The two of them got up to to attack her, but Zoe pulled a long metal shield from the wall. Just as they were about to pounce, she hurled the shield straight at them. They were immediately decapitated.

Latharius laughed. "Well done. I am very impressed with your skills, and would be honored if you joined us." His eyes darkened. "I suggest you take that offer if you wish to ever see daylight again."

"Not interested," Zoe said dryly.

"Have it your way. I gave you a fair warning. Trini! Finish her off."

The same woman who had led Zoe there emerged out of the shadows like lightening. She kicked Zoe hard in the chest, sending her into the wall.

"Zoe!" Takuya yanked at his chains desperately.

Trini sped over to her and grabbed a handful of her blond locks. Zoe quickly slammed her fist into Trini's jaw, then grabbed Trini's hair in retalitation, giving it a hard yank. The vampire winced and released Zoe. She was almost kicked, but managed to grab Zoe's leg. The blond simply jumped up and used her free leg to kick her. Trini cried out as she let go of her leg. Zoe crashed to the floor, then was about to stand when Trini slammed her to the ground. The dark-haired girl straddled Zoe and began to slam Zoe's head onto the floor repeatedly. The blond punched her in the stomach, then rolled so that she was on top. She struck Trini across the face and was about to do it again. Suddenly she felt a chain go around her neck and was yanked back.

Another vampire had joined in and began to drag Zoe across the floor, strangling her.

Takuya could only stand there and watch helplessly. He screamed in frustration. "Let her go!"

Trini got to her feet and grabbed an axe from the wall. She sped over to Zoe, swinging the blade with all her might. Zoe managed to roll to the side at the last second and the axe broke the chain instead. Freed, the blond rolled backwards toward the vampire who had joined in. Trini attempted to swing at her for a second time, but a moment later Zoe had grabbed the other vampire and shifted their positions. Trini had sliced the vampire in half. He shuddered, then his upper half collapsed to the floor. His lower half fell a moment later.

The brunette stared at the dead vampire and dropped her axe in shock. She fell to her knees. "My brother....." A tear came to her eye.

Zoe took the opportunity to grab the axe. Just as Trini looked up, Zoe swung the blade. She made no attempt to move and allowed Zoe to decapitate her. Trini's body slid to the floor and lay there unmoving. Her head had landed near Takuya's friends, who looked at it in disgust.

By now Latharius was enraged. "Get her!"

Zoe was thrown into the wall all of the sudden, striking her head on the concrete. She slid to the floor and was unable to resist when she felt herself being shackled the same way Takuya had been. The two were twenty feet apart from each other.

"If you kill her, I'll rip you to pieces!" Takuya screamed at Latharius.

The vampire lord smiled. "Alright. I won't kill her."

Everyone in the room looked at him, confused.

"That's right. I'm not going to kill her." He walked over to Takuya and pulled a syringe from his pocket. "You are." With that he rammed the long needle into Takuya's neck.

**oh, the suspense! nah, just kidding. chapter 15 is complete. i'm so proud of myself. let me know if you like this chapter. chapter 16 is coming soon. until then, byez :P**


	17. Chapter 16

**in case anyone's been wondering no, i haven't used ideas from twilight. to be honest with you, i haven't even seen the movie and don't really plan to. i'm going more for the resident evil/ underworld/ queen of the damned genre. so if anything is similar, it wasn't intentional. just figured i'd clear things up. anyway, back to the story.**

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 16**

Takuya yelled as the needle slipped deep into his neck. Latharius injected its contents once the needle had gone all the way in.

"Takuya!" Zoe cried out. What the hell was that stuff in the syringe, she wondered.

A few seconds later, the syringe was withdrawn and Takuya could feel its contents coursing through his system at a rapid pace.

"What the hell was that?" He gasped. His neck was sore from the needle.

Latharius stood back and smiled. "It's a very special chemical that I have been trying to perfect for ages. If one is injected with it, he will become the ultimate killing machine."

Takuya looked at him. "If it makes me into a killing machine, how do you know I won't kill _you_?"

"Because I had it specially made so that I would be unharmed. A tiny drop of my blood is in it. And when it gets into the subject's system, it will be recognized as mine and therefore will not attack me. You will only attack who I tell you to."

Despite his body feeling as though it was on fire Takuya could feel his muscles growing and becoming stronger. His fangs grew to be twice their original length. He could feel his body changing and he looked up at Zoe. His eyes were blood red, and Zoe could see his nails grow into sharp claws. He snarled at her.

"Takuya! It's me! Don't you recognize me?" She asked helplessly.

"I'm afraid not, my dear. He's under my control now. The only downside is that the poison only lasts for thirty minutes before it wears off. But you won't last that long anyway."

"Shit," she muttered. She suddenly had an idea, but she would have to act fast.

"Release him!" Latharius commanded.

Takuya's padlock was unlocked and his chains began to loosen. Zoe quickly threw her legs up and wrapped them around the chain so that she was upside down. She fumbled to remove a tiny pin from her hair. She finally grabbed it, then used it to unlock herself.

"Rip her apart, Takuya! That's an order."

Takuya was freed and he sprinted towards the blond, his memory of her gone. Zoe was released and flipped back down. The vampire swung his arm and slammed her in the chest. Zoe flew across the room and landed on a wooden table with a red tablecloth covering it. She rolled off the table just as Takuya jumped onto it. She yanked the tablecloth out from under him, causing him to slip. He fell to the floor, but recovered immediately. Zoe decided to run in the other direction, hoping to buy some time. Takuya ran after her, then hopped onto the wall. He ran over it almost like a spider and only a few seconds later he was already the same distance as her. He leapt off the wall and tackled her. Violently, he yanked her arms over her head and pinned them there. Just as he was about to lean down to bite her, Zoe did the only thing she could do. She rammed her knee into his crotch, hard. He screamed and rolled off her, briefly holding himself.

Kicking him like that was the last thing she had wanted to do, but it had to be done. For the next ten minutes, Zoe did her best to block and dodge him, only attacking him if she absolutely had to. Although he couldn't remember her, she couldn't bring herself to attack him. He was stronger than her anyway and it seemed like with each hit, he only got angrier.

"Takuya! Snap outta it!" Kouji called desperately.

"He's going to kill her at this rate. I don't know how much longer she can keep this up," Kouichi said, a worried expression on his face.

"Takuya, please stop! Try to remember Zoe!" Tommy yelled.

Latharius laughed. "Don't bother. There's nothing you can say to stop him. He's under my control." Although he sounded confident, he was beginning to worry. He had expected the girl to be dead by now, and the effects were already halfway through its time. He just had to be patient. The girl looked exhausted by now.

Takuya grabbed Zoe and slammed her into the wall. He wrapped his hand around her throat and lifted her up, choking her. Zoe rammed both of her elbows down into his face, causing him to let go of her. She then punched him across the face. Takuya wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked. He grabbed the front of Zoe's shirt and yanked her, hard. Zoe crashed to the floor, but managed to kick Takuya's knee. The blow caused Takuya to bend over, leaving an opening for her to kick him in the jaw. Zoe scrambled away from him, but Takuya was able to grab her coat. He ripped it off her and threw it to the side.

"Dammit." She had to think of something. It was impossible, however, because she had to concentrate on not letting Takuya kill her.

Takuya jumped and landed directly in front of her. Before she could do anything, he struck her under her chin. Zoe flew about fifteen feet away and groaned. She attempted to sit up, but Takuya stomped down on her chest, foiling her attempts. The blond grabbed his ankle and tried to lift it away. The vampire only snickered and forced it down on her even harder. Zoe could feel her ribs begin to crack and she screamed in pain. She swung her arm and caught Takuya on his other leg. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Zoe coughed and rolled over to her stomach. She tried to crawl away, but felt Takuya grab her ankle and was dragged towards him. He flipped her over so that she was on her back once again. Before he could attack her again, she rammed both of her legs into his stomach. Takuya flew a few feet and landed painfully on the hard floor. Zoe moved backward, and stared at him. She was panting and covered in sweat. The vampire quickly sprang up and lunged at her. He grabbed her by her shoulders and hurled her across the room, straight into the wall. Zoe groaned and fell to the ground.

"Stop it, Takuya!" J.P. screamed. "You're killing her!"

Takuya simply ignored him as he stalked over to the blond. Zoe barely had the energy to stand, but somehow managed. She turned to run, only to have Takuya slash her across her back with his sharp claws. He smirked as Zoe fell to her knees. The back of her shirt had been shredded and blood ran out of her cuts.

Latharius glanced at his watch. To his horror, there was only three minutes left. Where the hell had the time gone? The bitch should've been dead by now, dammit!

"Takuya! Hurry up and kill her! NOW!" He bellowed.

The brown-haired vampire nodded in understanding and viciously grabbed Zoe. He hurled her to the ground and straddled her. Once again he pinned her arms above her head. A moment later he sank his teeth into her neck, the side without the stitches. Zoe screamed in pain as he thirstily sucked the blood out of her.

Two minutes remained.

Zoe tried to somehow kick him off, but in that position, she couldn't get in a good hit. Takuya continued to drink, savoring the taste of her sweet warm blood. A few seconds later she jerked one of her arms free. She slammed it into his face as hard as she could. Takuya raised his head, and groaned in pain. Apparently one of her nails had scratched him, and blood dripped from a cut on his forehead. She could taste his blood as it rained onto her face in a steady flow.

One minute left.

"Takuya," Zoe murmured. She weakly pushed up against his shoulders, giving one last attempt to push him off.

A glimmer went through Takuya's eyes. For a moment he thought he could recognize her. Just as he tried to remember, Latharius called out.

"KILL HER!"

Takuya's eyes flashed red and he snarled. He took Zoe's head into his hands.

"No, Takuya! Don't do it!" Kouji desperately cried out.

Takuya jerked her neck as hard as he could. He heard a loud crack and her head lolled to the side, her eyes closing. For a moment he just sat there, panting as sweat trickled down his face. Only then did he realize that Zoe's neck had been broken.

**please dont kill me for the cliffhanger. chapter 17 will be out as soon as possible. let me know how you likey. ;P**


	18. Chapter 17

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 17**

Time was up.

Everyone in the room sat there in complete silence, watching what would happen next.

Takuya suddenly screamed as pain jolted through his head. He grabbed it, shuddering from the intesity. His fangs shrunk and his muscles reverted back to their normal size. He felt as though his entire body was on fire.

His friends could only watch helplessly, unable to move.

Finally, Takuya collapsed, landing on something soft. He shakily raised himself to see what it was. His eyes widened in horror when he saw Zoe lying beneath him, unmoving. Silently, he slid his hand under her head and lifted it slightly. He desperately felt for a pulse with his other hand, his body numb. She was dead.

Latharius smiled, satisfied with himself. "How unfortunate. But I promised you I wouldn't kill her, and as you can see I kept my word."

"Don't talk to him you bastard!" Kouichi yelled angrily. "You know damn well you were the cause of it!"

The vampire lord only laughed. "I think it's time to take a trip to my lair. We've wasted too much time here already. Grab the traitors." He rose, taking one last look at Zoe. "Leave the girl."

Takuya was so in shock, he didn't even realize what was going on until he was being dragged away.

"Let me go!" He threw one of the guards into the wall hard enough to shatter some of his bones.

Just as they were being unshackled, Kouji, Kouichi, Tommy, and J.P. decided to fight back. Kouichi pounced onto a guard and lifted him over his head. A moment later, he slammed the vampire into a metal pipe, breaking his back as he was folded in half backwards. Tommy grabbed a chair and shattered it over another guard's head. He then proceeded to rip his throat out. J.P., noticing the discarded axe which, thankfully, Takuya hadn't noticed during his fight with Zoe, picked it up and beheaded a few more vampires. Kouji leapt onto a table, then grabbed a guard. He immediately turned him upside down and slammed his head down onto the concrete floor, shattering his skull.

Takuya held onto Zoe's limp body, feeling himself shake. Tears coursed down his face in twin rivers, dripping onto his beloved's cheeks. He leaned down to kiss her soft lips, knowing he would never be able to kiss them again. His blood boiled and his eyes turned black. After he laid her down, he slowly rose to his feet.

Takuya set his sights on Latharius. He sprinted to his so-called master and tackled him to the ground. "You fucking bastard!" Takuya began to slam his fists down into his face with all his might, a mist of blood billowing into his face. "I'll fucking kill you! Do you hear me?! I'll fucking kill you just like you made me kill Zoe!"

Latharius kicked Takuya off, sending the brown-haired vampire flying. Takuya quickly got to his feet, ready to attack again.

"You fool! Did you really think I was going to use all of that potion on _you?_" With that he pulled another syringe from his pocket. Before Takuya had time to stop him, he had already jabbed the needle into his neck and emptied it.

"Shit!" Takuya stared with a mixture of worry and rage.

His friends stopped to see what was going on, only to see the vampire lord injecting himself.

"Dammit! What now?" Kouji asked.

"I don't know." J.P. shook his head unbelievingly. They should have known Latharius wouldn't have been stupid enough not to save any for himself.

Latharius screamed as the chemical coursed through his system. Like Takuya, his muscles bulged and his fangs grew longer. He seemed to grow taller as well.

Tommy grabbed the axe from J.P. and hurled it at the vampire with all his might. To everyone's horror, Latharius easily caught it. He threw it back at Tommy, who was pushed away at the last second by Kouichi.

"You alright?" Kouichi asked, helping the younger vampire up.

"Yeah." He looked at Latharius and swallowed. "But I don't know for how long."

Kouji bared his fangs. "Well, there's five of us and only one of him. Let's all attack him at once."

Latharius laughed, his red eyes glowing. "Try me," he growled.

The five of them lunged at the monster, ready to attack. Latharius struck Kouji and J.P., sending them backward. He grabbed Takuya by the throat and began to squeeze.

Takuya slashed Latharius across the face with his nails, getting him in the eyes. The vampire lord released him, then rubbed blood away from his eyes.

Tommy, too nervous to use the axe again, grabbed a jagged piece of wood from one of the broken chairs. He sprinted to Latharius and just as he was about to thrust it through his chest, Latharius grabbed him and ripped the make-shift stake from his hands. A moment later he rammed it into Tommy.

"Tommy!" Takuya screamed as he rushed over to his friend. Kouichi hit Latharius in the back of the head with a metal shield, forcing him to drop the young vampire. Takuya pulled Tommy away while the other three distracted Latharius.

"Shit!" Takuya looked at the stake sticking out of the boy's chest.

Tommy coughed. "It's okay. He missed my heart." He weakly tried to pry it out. "I don't know if I can fight anymore, but I'll try."

Takuya carried him over to the corner of the room. "No, you're not. Stay here. I think we killed all of the guards, but if you see any let us know." He ripped one of the drapes down and pulled it over Tommy. "It's going to be okay." He rushed off to help the others.

Tommy groaned and tried to pull the stake out again. Tears welled in his eyes from the pain. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't budge.

Kouji was on Latharius's shoulders and sank his teeth into his shoulder. He managed to bite off a large chunk before being thrown off. Latharius gritted his teeth, feeling blood gushing from his wound. He threw his head back and let out a horrible ear-shattering scream. A moment later he grabbed Takuya's arm and jerked.

Takuya cried out, feeling his arm pop out of its socket. He quickly clutched Latharius by the throat and yanked, attempting to rip his throat out. He did not succeed, however, because the vampire's skin was thicker and his bones were harder. Fortunatly, the blow was hard enough to make him release him.

"Kouji, go see if you can help Tommy," Takuya ordered. "We'll hold him off for now."

The bandana-wearing vampire nodded and ran to aid his friend.

J.P. punched Latharius in the face, but was thrown up into the ceiling a moment later. He crashed to the floor and laid there unmoving. Takuya, having already popped his shoulder back into place, tackled Latharius to the ground. He slashed him across the face, hoping to get a good hit. Latharius screamed as blood poured out of his scratches. Enraged, he grabbed Takuya by the shoulders and threw him off. A second later he set his sights on Kouichi. He put his hand in Kouichi's face and began to smash his head into the wall over and over again. Takuya sliced Latharius across the back with a metal shield, causing him to release the black-haired vampire. Kouichi slid to the floor, leaving a bloody trail on the wall.

"Kouichi!" Kouji screamed, rushing over to his brother.

"No, Kouji! Don't!" Takuya warned his friend.

Latharius gripped Kouji by his shoulders, then smiled evily. Before Kouji knew what had happened, Latharius had lifted him up and slammed him into the wall, a jagged piece of metal impaling him. Kouji gasped, his legs kicking weakly. A few seconds later, his movements had stopped.

"Kouji!" Kouichi stumble to his feet and pulled his twin off the wall. Throwing him over his shoulder, he carried him to where Tommy was. Just as Latharius was about to follow, Takuya and J.P., who had gotten up, jumped onto him. They each sank their fangs into either side of his neck. While Latharius was busy trying to get them off, Kouichi laid Kouji next to Tommy.

Kouji groaned, holding his bleeding stomach. "Gonna feel that in the morning."

Tommy glanced over the middle of the room and gasped.

"What's the matter?" Kouichi asked.

"Look over there," he said quietly.

The brothers looked in the direction he was referring to, their eyes widening in shock..

A small pool of blood stained the floor, coagulating. Zoe's body, however, was gone.

**i swear with all the cliffhangers, you guys are gonna put a hit out on me. but i promise i won't let you down.....or i'll try at least. chapter 18 will be ready soon. and id like to thank everyone who's been taking the time to review my chapters. thank you everyone! your reviews make me not feel suckish. :]**


	19. Chapter 18

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 18**

Tommy, Kouichi, and Kouji could only stare at the bloody spot.

"Where did she go?" Tommy asked in a hushed voice.

Kouji shook his head, not believing what he was seeing. "She must have been dragged somewhere while we weren't looking."

"But if she was dragged, there would be a trail of blood," Kouichi pointed out.

"She was probably carried away then."

Takuya crashed into the wall a few feet away from them. He shakily got to his feet, then darted back towards Latharius. The vampiric monster punched J.P. in the face, sending him to his knees. His friend came to his aid and managed to throw Latharius across the room, causing him to land on the table. The wood gave out beneath him, shattering to the floor. Enraged, Latharius ran over to the two vampires and slashed them both across their chests. Kouichi ran over to help. He jumped and kicked Latharius on the side of his head. Blood trickled from his temple and ran down his face. He smirked at them, licking the blood away. A moment later he grabbed both Kouichi and J.P. and slammed their heads together. The two slid to the floor, unconcious. Takuya was the only one able to fight.

"Aw, shit." Tommy began to panic, and gave another attempt to pull the stake out of his chest. He began to cry as the jagged piece of wood budged slightly, causing his wound to bleed more.

Kouji gripped his shoulder, giving him a reassuring look. "Take it easy. You'll get it out. Just focus on what you're doing."

Tommy nodded, pulling on it once again. He gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his face. He was in so much pain that he almost wished it had killed him. Almost.

Takuya looked at the vampire lord and wiped blood off the corner of his mouth.

Latharius laughed, taunting the chestnut-haired vampire. "Had enough yet?"

"Not even close." Takuya ran to tackle him, missing him at the last minute.

The monster grabbed him around the throat, lifting him into the air. "You're pathetic. You failed your little girlfriend, you failed your friends, and you're too weak to even save yourself. As far as I'm concerned, killing you will be doing you a favor. I think you deserve that at least."

Takuya glared at him, but at the same time, he felt as though the bastard was right. Zoe was dead. Tommy and Kouji were on the verge of death themselves, and J.P. and Kouichi were sure to be finished off as well. He felt as though death would be his only escape from this hell.

Latharius picked up a long jagged piece of wood from the destroyed table. He gripped it in his fist, ready to thrust it through Takuya's chest. Takuya closed his eyes, preparing himself for the hit. A second later, he heard an agonizing scream and felt himself fall to the floor. Surprised, he opened his eyes to see what had happened. Latharius was standing there howling in anguish. A stake was protruding from his neck and a river of blood was coursing its way down his chest, where it dripped to the floor.

Takuya scrambled away and turned to Kouji and Tommy, smiling. "Thanks. Perfect timing."

They had puzzled looks on their faces, however.

"We didn't do that," Kouji said quietly.

Latharius was still wailing, trying to pull the stake out of his neck. It had ripped right through the other side of his neck, impaling his throat.

Confused, Takuya looked at J.P. and Kouichi. Both of them were still out cold.

"What the fuck is going on?" Takuya asked.

He snapped back into reality and hurled himself at Latharius, knocking the weakened monster to the floor. He pummled his fists into his face and neck, causing more damage to the wound. Shrieking, Latharius kicked him off, sending him a few feet back. He yanked the wood out of his neck, then shakily stood up.

"What is the meaning of this?" He rasped. Blood dribbled out of his mouth, trickling down his face.

"What? This meaning?" A voice asked. Another stake suddenly impaled Latharius again, this time in the stomach.

Takuya looked up at the ceiling and saw the owner of the familiar voice.

Crouching on one of the rafters, with yet another stake in hand, was Zoe. Her blond hair flowed over her shoulders, the ends stained red. Takuya gaped at her, his entire body in shock. She jumped down to the floor, landing gracefully.

"No. It can't be," Latharius gasped out. "I watched him kill you."

Zoe smiled and walked over to Takuya. "Yeah, well, you didn't think you would get off that easy. Did you?" She taunted the monster.

Just as he was about to speak, his body began to burn. Fuck! The chemical was wearing off. His thirty minutes were up and to his dismay, there was none of that poison left.

Takuya smile triumphantly at his ex-master and stalked over to him, his arm around Zoe's waist.

Latharius was screaming, feeling his fangs and muscles shrink. Dammit! This wasn't supposed to happen! What the hell had gone wrong?

Tommy and Kouji were filled with happiness, but confusion as well. Kouichi and J.P. were starting to stir, their heads throbbing.

"Ow....." J.P rubbed his sore head. When he looked up, he thought he was hallucinating. "Holy shit."

Kouichi looked up as well, his eyes widening in shock. "Well, I'll be damned......."

Takuya took the remaining stake from Zoe and kicked Latharius to the floor. He stomped his foot down onto his chest, restricting the vampire lord's movements. "How the tables have turned." He smirked, slowly turning the weapon in his hand.

"Even if you kill me, you still won't win," Latharius spat. He had completely reverted back to his normal form.

Takuya laughed at him, mocking the feeble vampire. "You're the pathetic one. For a vampire lord you didn't have that many minions. And even the ones personally under your control were mostly afraid of you. None of them worshipped you. You are nothing, and you will die as nothing. Not even the rats will waste their time to eat your rotten remains."

Latharius quietly chuckled. "I may be pathetic, but you're the fool." He suddenly grabbed a few rusted pieces of metal from the floor and thrust them in Takuya's and Zoe's faces.

"Shit!" They stumbled backwards, rubbing the grainy pieces out of their eyes.

Latharius jumped to his feet and punched them each in the stomach, sending them flying backwards.

"You alright?" Takuya asked Zoe, helping her up.

Zoe nodded, rubbing the last of the metal out of her face. "You?"

"Yeah."

The vampire lord rushed towards them at full speed, ready to rip out their throats.

Takuya smirked. "Stupid fuck." Just as Latharius got to them, he thrust the stake he was holding deep into the vampire's chest.

Latharius gasped and fell to the floor, his body violently convulsing. Takuya and Zoe stood over him with satisfied looks on their faces. Latharius gurgled blood and began to choke on it. He was unable to speak as his body shut down. Right before he died he took one last look at them. They were both grinning. The last thing he saw was Zoe's smile. Her fangs were glimmering.

**yays chapter 18 is done! find out what the fuck happened with zoe's apparent death in the next chapter. but i'm sure you might have an idea what happened. anyway read and review. thanks :] sorry if you think latharius's death was too rushed. i just got sick of fight scenes and wanted to end it and move on to the next chapter. hope you at least found it satisfying. tune in for chapter 19**


	20. Chapter 19

**The Wastelands**

**Chapter 19**

The six of them stared down at Latharius's withering corpse, sinking into its own pool of blood. Within minutes only a large puddle and his saturated cloak remained. Finally, they sat down, exhausted.

Zoe crouched by Tommy's side, moving the drape away from his wound. Tommy's breathing was shallow, his eyes bloodshot.

"Stay still. This is going to hurt, but I'll get it out so it does the least amount of damage."

Kouji frowned, holding another drape to his own wound. "Damage?"

Zoe tossed her hair out of her face. "Well, we don't want any of his organs being pulled out in the process. Not that you need them," she added, noticing the nervous look on Tommy's face.

Tommy gripped onto Takuya's and Kouichi's shoulders as he braced himself. Zoe firmly took the piece of wood in her grip and began to tug. Tommy started to scream, the noise echoing through the building. The blond continued to pull, slowly but surely dislodging the stake. After a few moments she stopped.

"Take a deep breath," Zoe said quietly, wiping sweat off his brow.

"It hurts so fucking much," he sobbed.

"Don't worry, kid. It'll all be over soon. You're doing good," Takuya reassured him.

Zoe held onto the stake once again. "Ready?"

Tommy nodded, holding his breath at this point. She tugged on it, this time it moving at the quicker pace.

"Almost there," Zoe said as she went to pull the rest of it out.

Tommy screamed again, but felt a great relief a few seconds later. Zoe put a dry cloth against his chest with a smile on her face.

"Got it."

The young vampire collapsed. "Oh, thank god."

Kouji was already beginning to recover from his own wound. It still hurt like hell, but the bleeding had stopped for the most part. Zoe sat back, her head resting on Takuya's chest. Takuya gently touched her neck, trying to feel any abnormalties in it.

"It's fine," Zoe said softly.

"Yeah, but the question is 'how?'" Kouji said. "I mean, we all saw what happened. You should be dead."

She smirked. "Technically I am dead."

"You know what I mean," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

Kouichi took a good look at her, scanning over her face.

"Hey, stop staring at her," Takuya snapped.

"I'm trying to figure something out, dumbass."

Takuya looked down sheepishly. "Oh.......sorry......."

"Zoe, let me ask you a few questions." Kouichi seemed to be putting the missing pieces together.

"Sure. Ask away."

"What exactly happened?" J.P. butted in.

The black-haired vampire shot him a look for interrupting, but said nothing. They all waited for her answer.

"Well, Takuya had me on the ground and he managed to bite my neck. He was drinking my blood for like thirty seconds, but then I was able to scratch him so he let me go."

"Is that his blood on your face?" Kouichi asked, noting the dried spots of blood on her.

"Oh, yeah." She began to rub it away. "And after I scratched him, he grabbed my head and snapped my neck. And that's all I remember before everything went black."

"So then why the hell are you still alive?" J.P. asked. "Not that we don't like you around or anything, it's just that-"

"Quit while you're ahead J.P." Takuya shook his head.

"Sorry."

Zoe wiped the last of the blood away. "No, he's right. We're overlooking something here."

Kouichi suddenly smiled. "Nope. I've got it all figured out. Zoe, after you scratched him and he was bleeding, did any of it drip into your mouth?"

"Yeah." She looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes lit up as it came to her.

"What?" The other four still didn't get it.

Kouichi sighed. "After Takuya drank her blood, Zoe ingested some of Takuya's when it dripped onto her face. His blood was already in her system by the time he broke her neck. The process is pretty fast."

"But wouldn't she have needed to drink more than just a few drops to be turned into a vampire?" Tommy asked.

"No. It's usually done that way, but it's still possible with only a drop or two."

"Ohhhhhh," the others said as it finally dawned on them.

Kouichi and Zoe glanced at each other, then shook their heads, laughing at their friends' slowness.

"Shut up," Kouji said to them.

"We didn't even say anything," Zoe retorted, an unimpressed look on her face.

He crossed his arms. "You know what I mean."

"So now what?" Tommy intercepted. "Latharius is dead."

Takuya shrugged. "Well, there's probably going to be a new leader shortly. With Latharius gone, there'll be a lot of candidates to take over."

"Personally, I don't give two shits who it is. Just as long as they're not a power hungry bastard like the last one." Kouichi wiped a spot of dust off his pants.

"Same here," Tommy agreed.

"So," Takuya said, directing his attention to Zoe. "How's it feel to be one of us?"

She smirked. "To be honest with you it's not as bad as I expected. I always told myself I would rather die than to become a vampire, but I guess I was thinking too much into it."

"Yeah, but soon the cravings will be kicking in," Takuya pointed out. "You'll be killing just for the fuck of it."

Zoe shrugged. "It is what it is. If I go after the wrong bastard, then I better watch out that he doesn't have a stake."

J.P. rose. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna head out in a minute. After all this bullshit, I really don't feel like being here right now."

Tommy and Kouji painfully rose. "Me too."

"Yeah, I think I'll take off, too." Kouichi got to his feet. "Later."

"Bye," Takuya and Zoe replied unanimously, watching the others go. A few seconds later they were alone.

Takuya pulled Zoe tighter into his arms. He brushed a strand of hair off her face. "Thought I almost lost you today," he said sadly.

Zoe smiled. "Yeah, but the point is you didn't. As you can see I'm still here......just a little different." She took his face between her hands. "Still love me?"

"Always." Takuya kissed her lips. They were cold, like his own. That didn't make it any less in his eyes, though. "Besides, if you can still love me for breaking your neck, then we're pretty good right now."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll just have to get back at you for that later," she teased.

"Try me." They locked lips again, this time refusing to let go.

**yay! one more chapter and i'm done. stay tuned for the epilogue. it'll be out soon! i'm so happy to be almost done with this story. I enjoyed writing it, but i wanna move onto another one. let me know how or if you likey. ;P**


	21. Epilogue

**The Wastelands**

**Epilogue**

_One year later_

Zoe stood looking out her window, over the city. She was back in the same building that had been her only sanctuary for the past few years.

The city was still diminishing, only at a slower rate than it had been previously. A few humans could be seen wandering around aimlessly, looking for some kind of safety. Zoe pitied them, but knew only they were in control of their destinies, just as she was in control of her own.

Takuya came up behind her, lowering his lips to her bare neck. He kissed it softly, brushing his lips against her scar. Zoe shuddered, feeling his cold lips on her.

"What are you up to?" Takuya asked.

Zoe sighed. "Just looking down at the city."

The chestnut-haired vampire looked outside. "Yeah, but it's far too diminished for there to be much hope left for it. We'll just have to leave and go somewhere else."

The blond nodded. She could hear screams ringing through the night. Her eyes closed.

"You okay?" Takuya asked.

"I'll be fine." She ran her fingers though Takuya's hair. "Where are the guys?"

"They went out for something to eat. We might want to grab something soon as well."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," she replied.

Takuya smirked. "Well, you've been a vampire for almost a year now, and you still refuse to put on that outfit I got for you."

"That's for later tonight," she teased, brushing past him.

"I'm gonna take your word for it then. You better put it on or you'll be in big trouble," he quipped.

Zoe faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You may be stronger and faster than me Takuya Kanbara, but I am still more trained when it comes to kicking a vampire's ass. So don't fuck with me." She gave him a playful peck on the lips.

"We'll see." Takuya shrugged his jacket on. "Let's get going."

The blond nodded, putting her own coat on.

He took her into his arms. "Ready?"

Zoe nodded. Although she no longer needed him to travel anymore, she liked it better this way. Before she knew it they were off, the world swishing past them as if they were on a racetrack. She could hear screams howling past them, each one seemingly more anguished than the ones before them. Zoe sighed, laying her head on Takuya's chest.

She knew that as much as she wanted to save them all, it was impossible. She was their angel in disguise, and a predator underneath. Their savior, and their bane of existance. A light in their darkness, and a killer in cold blood.

"Almost there," she heard Takuya whisper in her ear.

Zoe smiled to herself. Moments later, they were both feeding on a young couple. Takuya had the girl in his clutches and thirstily sucked out as much as he could. The boyfriend was shaking in fear.

"Shh. It'll all be over soon." Zoe took his head into her hands and sank her teeth deep into his neck.

The guy was writhing in pain, unsuccessfully trying to escape. He soon began to enter a realm of darkness and took one last look at the blond. Her eyes were closed as she forcefully drained his body. She was a creature in the night, and his angel of death. Zoe Orimoto had been reborn.

**finally its over! yay! *jumps up and down* i honestly had no idea how to end it. i hope the epilogue wasn't too disapponiting. i wanted to end it in a way where i have the option for a sequel if i wanted to do one in the future. now i can work on my next story. the next one is a mature rated one-shot. i know i won't get many view or reviews or anything, but there are no other stories on takumi for that kind of content (none of which i could find at least) so fuck it, ill write one. will contain sexual content and not for the kiddies. since its only a one shot, i can have my next one after that up in running in no time. this one will be more like my usual stories, with the violence, the twists, and the suspense. it will be rated either T or M depending on how violent it is. probably T so i get more viewers. but anyway. those stories will be coming out soon. until then bye!**


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